


Prohibition

by t_arquette



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Death Eaters, Drama, F/M, Family History, Gryffindor, Love, Lust, Murder, Potions, Romance, Slytherin, Thriller, Unrequited Lust
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:48:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 40
Words: 104,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26837743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/t_arquette/pseuds/t_arquette
Summary: After coming to terms with her past, Ms Sofia Greene chooses to develop a stable career at Hogwarts. For over 4 years, she was known as one of the most dedicated teaching assistants in the faculty.Due to Voldemort's death, both the Headmaster and Potions Professor miraculously return to Hogwarts. Post-war, Severus Snape became acting headmaster as Dumbledore frequently decides to take care of other duties...How will Severus cope with the responsibilities of being Head of House, Potions Professor and acting Headmaster all at the same time?  Will an untimely romance develop between the two or will Sofia's past swallow her and Severus alive?
Relationships: Severus Snape/Original Character(s), Severus Snape/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 35
Kudos: 72





	1. A Teacher's Quarrel

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: all characters taken from the Wizarding World without a doubt belong to J.K. Rowling. The only characters which belong to me are Sofia Greene and various new characters throughout this book.
> 
> A lot of the characters which have sadly passed during the Deathly Hallows, will possibly be making a reappearance in Prohibition.
> 
> This story will contain themes of alcohol, abuse, sex, swearing, etc, therefore, please read at your own risk.  
> Otherwise, Enjoy x

"This is absurd, Severus can barely manage his duties since you keep disappearing, Albus!" Minerva seemed distraught, but who could blame her. Only just this week she was forced to substitute potions - twice - disregarding her schedule.

"I have already apologized for that Minerva-" Severus gritted his teeth "-besides, I had to tend to a physical fight between mine and your students." He barked back.

"Some things never change." Sofia quietly mumbled earning a smile from Dumbledore, referring to the never-ending spats between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. Hagrid playfully nudged her as Severus shot her a menacing glare from across the table.

"Perhaps we could discuss a new potions position? Of course, we would increase the pay, and Severus would still be in charge of the curriculum and core classes... However, this person would have to be willing to pick up most classes throughout the week, and be ready to assist Severus when needed...volunteers?" With potions being one of the most hated subjects at Hogwarts no one dared to volunteer themselves. Furthermore, all the professors sitting around the table had enough on their plate already.

"I do not believe this is necessary Albus, I can handle my classes and students-"

"Like hell, you can..." Came another mumble from Sofia.

"Language Sofia, this is a formal discussion after all." Minerva scolded. "However, I must agree with Professor Greene, Severus you can no longer be fully efficient and you need some sort of assistance."

"Alright everyone, this has dragged on long enough." Albus smiled. "Sofie I remember your best subject at Hogwarts was potions or am I mistaken?" Sofia raised her eyebrows, grey eyes darting from one faculty member to another.

"Perhaps Albus, however the last time I was at Hogwarts was almost 9 years ago, I highly doubt-" But before she could finish her polite attempt at a decline Severus interrupted the girl.

"She's not capable Albus," he slowly proclaimed, voice low making sure to look back at Sofia as if establishing dominance over her own decision. Sofia was an incredibly feisty and competitive persona. She never backed down from a challenge especially when someone belittled or doubted her. Without a second thought, she squinted her eyes, placing both her hands on the table eyeing Dumbledore who was already looking at her smirking, knowing what she was about to do.

"It'll be my pleasure, Albus." She announced making sure to smile at Severus who was stiffly sitting in his chair arms crossed, slender fingers gently tapping above his elbow. He returned her bold announcement by reciprocating with an eye roll. "Albus, Minerva." He nodded at both before swiftly leaving the room.

"Well this is fantastic." Minerva smiled, bidding goodbye to Albus and the others. Sofia leaned back in her chair rubbing her temple with one hand, contemplating about what the rest of the school year would bring. Severus and she didn't get along before the war when she was his student, nor post-war, even though she was barely interacting with him, mostly helping Hagrid at his hut. And they certainly didn't like each other over the next 3 years whilst working at the faculty. He always knew how to grind her gears and get on her last nerves. Whether it was regarding her 'lack of professionalism', 'lack of respect from students', ' lack of intelligence' or lack of whatever he could think of that day. After all the professors except Albus had left the office Sofia gently placed her head on the desk.

"Lemon drop?" Albus mused.

"Albus, I'm not sure this is the best idea..."

"You were the one who agreed to it." He smiled leaning back in his chair.

"I know, but I am unsure about how well two very short-tempered people can handle being around each other so much." She leaned her blonde hair back, visibly agitated.

"Sofie, you will do just fine, remember when I welcomed you to Hogwarts middle of the night? You told me you wouldn't be able to handle catching up with all the students... yet here you are! A magnificent addition to Hogwarts!" He was right. She was dropped off at Hogwarts when she was 16, making her a 6th-year student with no practised magical abilities or knowledge. She had to develop them in her free time with countless after school sessions. What didn't help was the fact that her Head of House was the least empathetic wizard on the planet.

"One last thing-" Dumbledore continued. "You won't be able to stay at Hagrid's Hut anymore as you will be needed more on the main grounds. Therefore you have to pick a new room. We have three teachers quarters available. One on the fourth floor facing the lake, one on the ground floor just above the dungeons, and one in the dungeons themselves with - well - no perks, unfortunately."

"Well, of course, I'll take the fourth-floor lake view-" She laughed, "Albus why would you even ask?"

"Some professors prefer to be closer to the classrooms in which they teach. I highly doubt you would enjoy walking up 4 flights of stairs daily..." He quirked his eyebrow. "I suggest you take the second option, the room still has large windows which I know you've always loved-" he winked, watching her closely, "-also it's located close to a staircase which the house-elves use to move swiftly through the building. Therefore you would have straight access to the dungeons and the kitchen." Upon hearing about the staircase Sofia was instantly swayed.

"You're completely right. That sounds reasonable." She gave Albus a content smile.

"I will ask the elves to move your belongings from the hut to your new quarters, for now, dear Sofie I will have to ask you to leave as I have some very important business to attend to-"

"Ah of course..." She laughed. "Albus Dumbledore, lover of candy and important business." Sofia smirked heading outside of his office.

She walked down the staircase watching the Griffin shift back into position. Making her way down the hallways, her heels clicking on the grey stones. She looked out seeing the night sky, millions of stars gathered above her. Sofia sighed pulling her hair out of her bun and brushing it to the side. It was a cold night. October seemed quite unforgiving this year with the temperature drastically dropping. She pulled her black robes around her for warmth. Not much has changed in her fashion sense since school. Always a lover of black...the only thing she had in common with the broody potions professor which within a mere hour, unfortunately, became her closest colleague. She paused at the railing, taking in the sky above her. She would miss helping Hagrid teach Care of Magical Creatures, even if it often put multiple of her limbs at stake. Sofia hastily made her way to Hagrid's hut, bidding her last goodbyes promising that she would visit every chance she got.

Arriving at her new quarters she took in the surroundings. The double bed facing large windows, a couch, and a small wardrobe which she was already filling up with her dull wardrobe. Black trousers, black shirts a few of her formal white tops and a small collection of what she had left of her muggle clothes; sweaters, tops and jeans all of which she would wear during the weekends when she wouldn't be around students as much. Soon enough Sofia was curled up on her couch reading a muggle book of Greek Mythology thinking about her late mother. Only in the mere hours of the morning was she able to fall asleep. Tomorrow was Sunday after all, Sofia could allow some time to herself.


	2. Unpleasant Beginnings

Sofia woke up with the sun shining on her face. After working at Hogwarts for 4 years she became a morning person as it always allowed her some extra quiet time before the students could wake. Before heading to grab some breakfast she noticed a note sticking out from under her door. She curiously pulled it out examining the roughly torn piece of parchment.

_Meet me in the potions classroom at 10 am, unless you want to completely embarrass yourself tomorrow._

_S.S._

"So entitled." Were the first words she uttered that morning. She crumpled the note and threw it into the fire which had been burning since last night. Hogwarts forbade any muggle _'antics_ ' like central heating and electricity. Even though it was the 21st century the professors still had to light fires in the common rooms and their own quarters not to freeze to death in the night. Sofia grabbed her wand and made her way to the great hall. No one was there except Professor Flitwick who was also an early riser. 

"Ah, good morning Sofie" He called out.

"Lovely morning to you too Filius!" She smiled. There was no food in the great hall as the students and professors only tend to arrive around 8:30 am. However, the kitchen house-elves were familiar with Sofie's routine. Without sitting down at the teacher's table Sofia caught up with Zinky the elf as she was busy cleaning the long tables. 

"Zinky!"

"Ms Sofie - Zinky was just about to grab your breakfast." Zinky said hurriedly. 

"No need! I'll grab it from the kitchen!" Sofia smiled. She was never fond of the concept of house-elves however she wasn't fond of disobeying Hogwarts traditions either.

After grabbing her breakfast Sofia decided to check out these secret staircases Dumbledore talked about. 

"Hey Zinky, do you mind showing me to the staircase which you take down to the dungeons and up back to the ground floor?"

"Of course Ms! Ms Sofie was always Zinky's favourite. Zinky will show you the way." Sofia was lead to a curving staircase behind a door in the kitchen which Zinky opened. The staircase twisted in front of her resembling large black cement snakes. 

"If Ms Sofie would like to go to her quarters, Ms Sofie just needs to say the coordinates of her room placing her hand on the staircase." Sofia gave a confused look to Zinky who proceeded to step with her onto the curving staircase.

"If you say southwest the staircase will lead to the dungeons. Say northeast the staircase will lead you to right outside your room."

'But the staircase only goes up how would it-" Before Sofia could finish Zinky was gone. Sofia placed her hand on the staircase and whispered _northeast_. The staircase stopped moving under her. As she made her way up she saw a small black door. She bent down opening the door. She found herself right outside of her quarters.  
  
"Wonderful." 

Noticing it was time to head down to meet _Snape_ for her class breakdown Sofia threw her book on the bed. Taking off her round glasses, she placed them and her wand into the pocket of her high waisted trousers as she made her way out of her quarters locking them behind her. Right before she was about to leave she remembered that she forgot to set a password to her quarters. She tapped the door three times with her wand and whispered: _"Fluctus Maris"_ which roughly translated to 'the waves of the sea'. All the professors had passwords derived from the English language, Dumbledore's being Curly Wurlies as of right now. She decided to be a little more creative and throw in some Latin. What she didn't realize was that the process had taken precious minutes of her time which in turn would make her late to meet Severus. She rushed to the elf door, quickly running up the staircase. Soon, ending up in the dungeons hallway. 

It was cold, humid, and dark. No sun broke through into the hallways. Candles were consistently re-lighting themselves as that was the only thing making walking semi-manageable. Knocking on the door of the potions classroom Sofia patiently waited for a response. After receiving none, she rolled her eyes and pushed the heavy door open. Her eyes met with the professor's cold gaze. 

"I see you have already made yourself comfortable with barging into my classroom Greene." the Professor proclaimed. Before Sofia could say anything he continued, in his low and somewhat alarming tone.

"You're also late." He stretched the 't'. Suddenly all the memories of the detentions in her 6th and 7th years flooded Sofia's memories. She felt a shiver go down her spine as she remembered how her Head of House would make her scrub cauldrons with toothbrushes. 

"Severus I was only a minute late-"

"Just because I am no longer your Head of House does not mean you can call me by my first name. It is still _Professor_ to you."

"But I will be working with you, covering your classes..." Sofia chuckled. "Don't you think it would make more sense if I-"

"Enough." He gritted. " I don't have all day." he dragged "-therefore I would quite enjoy it if you would move away from my doorway sit down and listen." Severus turned his back, pulling out pieces of parchment from the drawers behind his desk. Sofia closed the door and made her way towards his desk she rolled her eyes once more before pulling up a chair.

"Roll your eyes again and they will stay that way. I guarantee it." _How the hell did he even see that?_ Sofia wondered. She pulled out her glasses and her wand from her pocket gently wiping the glasses before putting them on. Severus turned around holding a bunch of clearly unorganized and somewhat crinkled pieces of parchment. He looked down at Sofia who was patiently waiting her arms crossed over her chest. He suddenly felt the urge to smirk.

"What is so funny? Do tell Professor."

"I don't remember you wearing those hideous glasses when you were in my classes, Ms Greene." He sneered. 

"Well, I'll have you know I did not wear them then due to obvious reasons."

"And what could those be, pray tell." He mused. 

"I am unsure if you remember correctly, but you were quite the pestering teacher back in the day." She sneered back.

"I see my reputation proceeds me." Sofia looked up at the ceiling already counting down the seconds to when she could leave the damp classroom. She remembered how she was pleasantly referred to as '4 eyes' by her _beloved_ professor. 

"I won't bore you with the details. As I am sure you won't last quite as long as you think." He placed a few pieces of parchment in front of her, but before Sofia could even glance at them he slammed his hand on the desk leaning closer to her as she flinched, towering over her, the desk being the only thing that separated her from his looming body. He placed his hands at the opposite ends of the desk as he proceeded to speak. 

"You will be back assisting Hagrid before you know it, so don't get too comfortable Ms Greene." As Sofia let out a breath, his slender fingers glided along with the parchment. "Here is the schedule for the rest of the semester prior to the Christmas holidays. All the classes which are bold you must attend. You will be leading them. The classes which are underlined you _have_ to be present, in the form of my assistant-" he paused making sure she could feel how he referred to the position of _assistant_ in a derogatory manner. "I hope you aren't planning to visit family over Christmas, as I will be needing you to grade all the N.E.W.T.s-"

"I'll be here." She sighed, interrupting his monologue. He quirked his eyebrow. If he were even the least bit interested he would have asked Sofia why she was staying on the premises during Christmas however, he proceeded. 

"Good. Now here are the different books which each year follows. You have to familiarise yourself with them. Tomorrow you will mostly be teaching the 1st and 2nd years, therefore I recommend you get quite acquainted with the _Cure for Boils, Sleeping Drought_ and the _Forgetfulness Potion_. You will be helping the students brew them tomorrow. Now I hope all this information won't lead me to hold those dreadful tutoring sessions which Albus advised me to give you during your 6th year at Hogwarts."

"Ah so you do remember me in your classes," she interjected sarcastically. "But if I remember correctly, you refused to help me, which forced me to fend for myself in potions." 

"Yes and if _I_ remember correctly-" He paused. "-potions became your best subject, Ms Greene." Sofia hummed as he smirked again his face quickly returning to his usual complexion of disgust. 

"Here is each year's curriculum, and here are the rough lesson-plans which I have developed over the years..." Sofia looked at the messy quill written notes which somewhat resembled schedules. 

"Professor-" Sofia uttered through a grin raising her eyebrows making sure that he noticed the sarcasm in her voice "Would I be able to re-write the plans in my free time so they might become a little - _easier - to follow_?" 

"I am not concerned with what you do in your free time, Greene. If it pleases you go ahead." He gestured. Sofia nodded, curving her lips into a forced smile. 

"That will be all." 

Sofia mentally prepared herself for having to re-read potion books overnight. Using wandless magic she levitated the books and parchment to follow her as she headed for the door. With the books following her closely, she could feel Severus' eyes on her back. Before she was out she heard a sly " _How lazy_ " drop from his lips. She gripped to door with her hand as her knuckles turned white mustering up all the power she had in herself to not turn around and give him a piece of her mind. 

_Respect._

_Patience._

_I am better than him._

Is all that she kept repeating in her head before letting the door out of her tight grasp and exiting.

"Ugh!" Was all Severus heard before the door shut.

 _What an interesting creature,_ he thought. Severus was already thinking of all the mortifying ways he would drive Sofia insane during the term, she seemed way too calm and cocky during their first formal meeting. Too collected. He tried to recall her being a student, remembering how he continuously took house points from her every time she failed to brew the simplest of potions. His curiosity took the best of him as he wondered why the hell Albus would allow a student to start Hogwarts on their 6th year and not be forced to sit through the other 5 years of school. Unfortunately during that time, Sofia Greene was the last thing on his mind as he paid next to no attention to any of his student's struggles. He recalled, once splitting up a fight between her and a different Slytherin girl. He remembered having to pry Sofia off the other girl as she pulled the girl's hair and ripped her student robes. _I wonder if she's just as feisty now as a teacher as she was once a student,_ he smirked. All would be soon revealed as he planned to press on all of Sofia's buttons hoping she would drop the job she was offered shortly after Christmas. The first thing being: placing her in the most deranged first class which contained Slytherin and Gryffindor 2nd years. 


	3. A Class Amiss

"You won't believe this! He was so full of himself. So broody! Ugh. And the worst part is he is so demeaning. Making me feel like I am so much smaller than him in every way!"

"That's our Severus alright." Minerva laughed.

"Oh! Speaking of his name, he's forcing me to call him Professor Snape? Like I am one of his students?!" Sofia continued throwing her hands up in exasperation. 

"Nonsense dearie. He'll come around. He was once the youngest professor here. And now that he has someone to toy with who's younger and happens to be his past student he's just showing off some superiority."

"Even though he technically has no direct power over me."

"Precisely." Minerva continued sipping her tea. "Well on second thought-"

" _What_?" Sofia squinted. "-Minerva, he's no Albus!"

"You are correct Sofie, but you might remember he is technically above you in the ranks of the teaching pyramid so to speak, therefore although he can't make you quit your job he can make it quite difficult for you. And if you're not efficient - which I am sure you will be - he will report it to Albus." Minerva spoke calmly. 

Sofia was at a loss for words. She ran her hands through her hair tying it in a tight bun, before feeling displeased letting it down and tying it again. Minerva watched as the girl frantically twisted her hair holding her hair tie between her teeth. 

"Oh dear, there's no need to be worried. On the contrary, just think that if he somehow grows fond of you, next thing you know you will be replacing him completely. Becoming a full-fledged professor at Hogwarts!" 

"You're right. I will just try to be more patient."

"Hmm I've known you for years Sofia, and since day one you didn't strike me as the patient type." She smiled

"I guess I'll just have to try." Sofia continued sipping her tea as she told Minerva about the rest of her day, filled with memorising potions which she had long forgotten. They continued to chat for what seemed like hours. Minerva was always close to Sofia. From the first day, she felt a certain motherly instinct towards the girl. Even when Sofia was sorted into Slytherin, Minerva continued to watch over for her and regularly invited her for tea. Minerva was the one who discovered that Sofia was living from paycheck to paycheck after graduating. When she found out Sofia had been juggling 3 jobs to feed herself in London, she convinced Albus to hire Sofia for minimum pay to see how she would do at Hogwarts. It didn't take much convincing as Sofia was always quite hardworking and Albus knew that. The only thing Minerva failed to understand was why such a bright girl had so much trouble finding a stable job. But she always told herself she'd get to asking Sofia that question one day, just not today. 

"I think I must get going." Sofia smiled sadly. "Have to be up early tomorrow for my first class." 

"Don't fret my dear. You'll do great." Minerva lifted her wand up and with a swift flick, the teapot and cups began to clean themselves as Sofia made her way out. 

The following morning Sofia had been over-prepared for her class. She had memorised the potions and even snuck back into the potions classroom to practice them without Severus realizing. Grabbing her wand, some books and parchment Sofia made her way down to the potions classroom through the elf staircase. The students were running around the hallways, excited for another week of classes. 

"Hi, Professor Greene!"

"Hi, Jonah!" She greeted the boy. Jonah was a 6th year, tall, quidditch loving lad. They had become quite acquainted since Sofia had tutored him in Charms all of last year. 

"Excuse me professor, but I haven't seen you around the dungeons before. Are you visiting someone?"

"No, unfortunately not. I am the new potions substitute-professor-assistant...something along those lines." She laughed

"That's great! I hope to get you for one of my classes instead of _him_.." Jonah whispered the last word, rolling his eyes. 

"Jonah, he is still your professor have a little respect." Sofia furrowed her brows trying to stay professional, no matter how much she disliked the man, he was still her co-worker. 

"Now that you are finished discussing me, return to your class, Jonah. Now." Not only did Severus come out of nowhere but his low voice gave both Sofia and Jonah chills. Jonah scrambled as Sofia turned to face him.

"Morning to you too Professor. I thought I was covering the class today?"

"Precisely. I am only here to introduce you. Now come." Sofia followed as they entered the rowdy classroom. "Quiet." He didn't need to raise his voice, as soon as he stepped into the classroom laughter died. All of the students seemed to share the same looks of terror. "This is Professor Greene. She will be covering multiple of my classes. Please get acquainted with her. I will be gone this whole week." Sofia's eyes shot wide open. _A week?_ she thought. Her first week of ever teaching potions and Severus decides to depart. Severus noticed Sofia's pained expression and leaned in to whisper something to her ear. "If I come back, and I see absolutely anything out of place or amiss there will be consequences. Good luck." She could almost see a smirk on his face as he left the classroom. Sofia sat behind the teacher's desk and begun.

"So as some of you may know my name is Professor Greene. I have been teaching Care of Magical Creatures and Charms on and off for 4 years now. I have now been promoted to potions." She raised her eyebrows playfully as some of the students laughed. "If you guys have any questions before we begin please ask away."

"Professor Greene, did you go to Hogwarts?" 

"Yes, indeed I did."

"What house were you in?"

"Slytherin." Sofia heard murmurs coming from multiple students on the Gryffindor side of the classroom, whilst the familiar Slytherin students smirked. 

"Professor if you were Slytherin, how come you seem so sweet?"

"-You can't ask that Henry!" A voice came in a hushed tone. 

"Settle down now! Each house has different students with all kinds of personalities. Now it would be rude to assume that all Slytherins aren't sweet. Any more questions?"

"You must be a pure-blood if you were sorted into Slytherin then!" A blonde boy chirped in from the Slytherin side. It was Tim Parker. She winced at his statement. Sofia could already tell that he was trouble. 

"Contrary to popular belief no. My father was a wizard and my mother was a muggle. Now if we could begin on page-"

"So you're a mudblood then?" Tim exclaimed. For a second Sofia was quiet, slamming her hands on her desk with a bang she spoke: 

"I will not tolerate these derogatory terms in my classroom. 20 points from Slytherin and detention next Monday Mr Parker." 

"I'm not scared of detention with you. What are you gonna do make me read?" All the Slytherin boys laughed. However, their laughs slowly faded as they saw Ms Greene turn her mouth into a wicked grin. 

"No Mr Parker. You will be having detention with Professor Snape. He will deal with you as he sees fit. Now everyone please turn to page 74 we will be brewing the Sleeping Drought." 

The rest of the lesson ran smoothly. Sofia walked around the class helping certain students with some of their ingredients. She suddenly noticed that Tim was messing with the ingredients of the girl next to him who was clearly a Gryffindor. 

"Mr Parker if you do not stop that right now I will not hesitate to extend your detention into a full week." 

"Sorry Professor," Tim whined. Tim was getting extremely annoyed with her. She didn't seem threatening to him especially because he was Professor Snape's favourite. Tim recalled a hex which his older brother taught him during the summer. It didn't require too much wand flicking, only a few Latin words. Whilst Sofia was helping out another student, Tim carefully took out his wand and focused on remembering what exactly his older brother taught him. Slowly, he hexed the professor without her even noticing. Within seconds a Gryffindor student raised her hand. 

"Um...Professor Greene?" One of the girls sheepishly said. 

"Yes?"

"Your hair...it seems to have turned, um, green?" 


	4. Green

"Professor your hair!" Another student yelled. 

Sofia quickly pulled her hair out of her ponytail and noticed some green. She contained all of the anger she had inside and tied her hair back up letting out a long sigh. She glared at the students one by one analysing their expressions. She always was good at reading people let alone kids. Her eyes finally caught up with Tim who was snickering whilst trying to quickly shove his wand back into his green robes. She marched up to him as she watched his face turn a sickly shade of white. She remembered what her mother always told her: _never yell, always whisper when you want someone to truly be afraid of you to the core_. Sofia was known for having a short temper, something inside her was on fire. She bent down and leaned in as close as she could to Tim's face only mere centimetres away from his nose and whispered;

" _Mr Parker. You try anything like that again I assure you it will be the last time you see Hogwarts."_ She heard him gulp _. "A month worth of detention."_ Tim's mouth gaped open at her punishment, however, that was not all _._ _" I will be speaking to Profesor Snape in regards to how many house points Slytherin would be loosing. But at this rate, I am not afraid to suggest 150._ " Tim's eyes fell as did his hands. "Way to go Tim!" she heard some Slytherins mumble. 

"Sorry," Tim mumbled. 

"Sorry what?" She whispered roughly. 

"Sorry Professor Greene." She wickedly smiled at him straightening her back. 

"Now that everyone had a grand time during their first class-" She continued as if forgetting what had just happened to her hair. "Congratulations to Helen and Katherine for brewing fantastic Sleeping Droughts. 10 points to each of your houses!" Both the Gryffindors and Slytherins clapped. "You are both very capable witches!" She said smiling at both the girls. "Homework for next class is to read chapter 15. Now go! Enjoy your lunch!" The students all rushed by Tim picking up their things and heading to the great hall. Tim was the last one to leave, mumbling another sorry on his way out. 

Sofia was in no mood to have lunch with any of her colleagues. She snuck into the kitchen through the elf door grabbed herself some food and went up to her quarters. She dreaded looking into the mirror. She had no idea the level of damage which Tim caused especially because she always loved her hair. Nevertheless, she took a deep breath in, pushing her bathroom door open, opening her eyes to the horror which she saw. 

Her hair was a sickly bright green, every strand. Swamp green someone could even say. Some parts darker green some parts lighter. There were no remains of the warm blonde she had possessed before. She frantically jumped into the shower scrubbing her hair but nothing worked. It was as if her hair was always green. Huh _Greene,_ guess at least the kid was clever, or maybe he was just thinking of his house colours. The colour drained from her face as she remembered who would get the last laugh in this...Severus. 

The last thing she needed was Severus never letting this go. Boasting about how she couldn't handle a bunch of 12-year-olds. The only thought that calmed her was that Severus was gone for a week, which gave her some time to recover the damage even if the kids tell him about this. Although she doubted it, as he lacked having any resemblance of a connection with any of the students at Hogwarts. 

The rest of the week was both Sofia's dream and worst nightmare. She rekindled the love she had for potions since she was a teenager, although she couldn't say that for most of the students who took her class. Her week consisted of having to break up fights between Gryffindors and Slytherins, constantly hear complaints about Severus, endure neverending exploding potions which she always had to clean in the end because the students were not capable of doing a proper cleaning job and worst of all facing Tim's brother. The other Parker's reputation was much worse than his brothers. He had set multiple teachers on fire in his 3rd year, tried to poison his classmates on multiple occasions, gave the most difficult rebuttals to whatever Sofia would say during class and he consistently bullied younger students. But the cherry on top was that Sofia's hair had not faded one bit. By Thursday her students stopped asking her about it as she gave the same answer every time: a _mishap_. By Friday she had gone to every professor in the building to try to reverse the hex. Saturday she went down to Hogsmeade and bought some well-deserved wine for herself. Excited to open the bottle curled up on the couch whilst enjoying some of her traditional Greek mythology. But before that, she wanted to catch up with some classwork whilst re-writing some of Severus lesson plans in order to free up her Sunday. Sofia made her way down to the dungeons with some snacks and a decent attitude. 

Placing herself on Severus chair, she pulled out all the lesson plans and begun re-writing them. In order to lighten up the mood, she waved her wand and conjured an old record player to stand on top of one of the student tables. She proceeded to play some _old_ songs _by_ Frank Sinatra, The Platters some Marilyn Monroe and Louis Armstrong. Every lesson plan she picked up looked messier than the one before it. After re-writing all the core lesson plans which added up to a whopping 40, she decided it was time to stop for the evening. She had colour coded, timed and separated every single new plan by school year, ingredient and timeframe. Sofia muttered a spell which bound all the lesson plans in order and placed them into Severus drawer which was filled with millions of other useless and unorganized pieces of loose parchment. Finishing off cleaning the desk Sofia made her way back to her quarters making sure to remove the record player and any other trace of her which she might have left behind. 

In her quarters Sofia conjured herself a wine glass with the wine which she bought earlier that day. Taking off her teaching attire she made herself comfortable in a tank top and some navy pyjama pants, she let her hair down about to get fully comfortable when she saw the green strands fall on her eyes. Livid she tied her hair back up huffing "Accio book." As the book plopped on her lap she silently sipped her whine fully indulging every word which was written on the pages. 

Hours had gone by, but as Sofia yawned she didn't quite feel like she was ready to go to bed. Looking outside her window she noticed how beautiful the stars looked. She wanted nothing more than to sit by the black lake and watch the stars for a little while. Suddenly she remembered that she was a professor and had a full right to do so. She grabbed a sweater and a warm scarf as she rushed down the stairs. In the hallways, she bumped into Remus. 

"Good evening Sof!" He laughed as she rushed by him. 

'Oh, Merlin! I didn't see you. Hi Remus how are you? Hows D.A.D.A. going?" She hugged him. 

"Same old..." He smiled. "How the hair problem any luck? Although it doesn't seem like it..." He touched her hair gently. "Wow it's really green isn't it?" 

"No matter what I do I can't get it out, I've tried absolutely everything." Sofia grew to truly appreciate Remus, he was the first professor who was nice to her aside from Minerva and Albus. During her first year, she always went to him for any advice or emotional support. Remus did the same. Anytime he and Tonks would have a heated argument he could come to Sofia for guidance. 

"Well, I won't hold you up much longer. Enjoy whatever it is you were running off to with a glass of wine! Not that I am interested in the slightest in what that is!" He winked.

"Oh I'm simply going to sit by the lake, I wanted to make this Saturday last just a little longer before having to face Severus with this atrocity tomorrow. Care to join?" 

"Can't darling, night duty." He hugged her again before she rushed off to the lake. 

Although sitting on the grass is romantic in all sorts, Sofia really did not fancy her favourite pyjamas being wet from the grass. Whipping out her wand she quickly conjured a cheeky bench which she would remove before going back to her quarters. She sat on the bench crossing her legs under her, making sure to take in the lake and the stars above her. She sipped on her wine, enjoying the smell of the trees, the slow buzz of the crickets and the wind. Before she managed to get any more comfortable she felt someones gaze burning through the back of her head. She smiled in hopes that Remus decided to ditch night duty and join her. She quickly spun around only to be greeted by a dark looming ƒigure, the moonlight illuminating the sharp features of his face and onyx eyes. She rolled her eyes. 

"Greene." 


	5. Core Lessons

"Oh. Hello Professor." Sofia replied politely. She turned facing the lake hoping he would soon bid his goodbyes. Contrary to her hopes, Severus strode over to the bench and stiffly sat next to her. Making sure to maintain a comfortable distance of a meter.

"I see you have returned." She continued trying to fill in the awkward silence. 

"Always impressively observant." He muttered.

"What was it you were doing anyway?'

"None of your concern Ms Greene." Severus had folded his hands across his chest as Sofia leaned her below on the bench resting her cheek in her palm. He still hasn't made any snide remarks about the hair, Sofia thought. Maybe she could just get away with it without him pestering her. Whilst Sofia was looking out towards the black lake Severus kept stealing glances at her. _Something was different_ , he thought, and not in a positive way. He kept staring at her squinting his eyes. The moonlight was not particularly helpful as he could hardly distinguish any of her features.

"What on earth are you staring at?" Sofia rudely said, making sure not to turn to look at him attempting to disengage from the conversation as much as she could. Before replying Severus pulled his wand out of his cloak, and whispered _lumos_. His eyes widened as his jaw clenched.

"What happened to your hair...?" He lifted the wand closer to her face as she swatted it away.

"None of your concern professor." She mocked. She could almost see a smirk forming on his lips. Bracing herself for whatever he was about to say she huffed.

"I see your first week has gone splendidly then." His monotone voice broke the silence. Still holding his wand he wanted to see Sofia's face as he tormented her. A part of him was longing to hear how horrible his students must have been to her.

"I quite enjoyed it. All the students did quite well. And your classroom is in one piece, therefore, I believe praise is in order." She smiled at him. Sofia refused to back down and tell him the truth.

"Do tell the truth. I will not have a colleague lie to my face."

"So I'm a colleague now, here I thought you were treating me like I'm still one of your students!" Sofia returned.

"Without the attitude Greene. What. Happened. To. Your. Hair?" He was now getting frustrated. Not only was Sofia making a grand attempt at hiding her emotions but she also managed to piss Severus off at the same time. Sofia seemed calm and collected.

"Mr Parker was not happy with the points I deducted from him, therefore he proceeded to hex me. He also did a great job at it, as you can see." She gestured to her hair. "Slytherins seem to be getting more and more clever by the day." She smiled. Severus couldn't say that he wasn't impressed by her positive demeanour. However, his curiosity once more got the best of him.

"And why did you take off the house points in the first place?"

"Professor, you are more than welcome to find out yourself. You have detention with Tim after dinner for the rest of the month." Severus furrowed his eyebrows and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The lack of discipline you had as my student seems to have followed you into your pathetic teaching career." He glared at her. "What makes you think I enjoy cleaning up your mess?" Sofia stayed silent. His words mixed with her green hair felt like a huge weight being pushed on her chest. She practically felt tears welling up in her eyes. But she would rather fight an aggressive forest troll with her bare hands than let Severus witness any trace of her human emotion. Finishing her wine glass she firmly stood up.

"Well, I had a _lovely_ evening with you, Professor." Sofia continued in a sarcastic manner. "Now If you'll excuse me I have to remove this bench." Severus raised an eyebrow, getting up from his comfortable position. Sofia quickly removed the bench with her wand, heading towards the main building bidding him a silent goodnight.

"Your hair-" She froze. "-an old hex which the Slytherin 5th years came up with a decade or so ago. It is easily reversed if you know the spell." She could feel the entitlement in his voice. She gave him a forced smile as she continued up the hill. Before she could be out of sight, Severus silently whispered something flicking his wand. After she was out of his reach, Severus crossed his hands over his chest once more and looked out towards the lake. _What an attitude_ he muttered to himself. The girl was young, impatient and entitled. He knew if he would have persisted a little more Sofia would have exploded, but something stopped him from doing that. For whatever reason, he ceased himself from pushing her over the edge.

Upon entering her quarters Sofia grunted and kicked the door with her foot. Arrogant. Was all she could think of him. She calmed herself by letting out a breath she hadn't noticed she was holding. She refused to let his comments discourage her from teaching, she loved teaching, and she loved her students. No matter how difficult some of them often got. She knew she had a whole Sunday to herself avoiding Severus completely, Sofia sat on her bed thinking of all the ways she could prove him wrong. Prove she was not just an impeccable professor but also an extraordinary witch.

Sofia entered the bathroom excited for the warm shower. Her eyes widened as she saw herself in the mirror. Her hair was back to her usual warm blonde. She touched it in disbelief. Smiling, her first assumption was that the spell wore off until she suddenly remembered Severus' last words. She exhaled again realizing that now she has somehow found herself in debt to the brooding man. She didn't allow herself to think twice about it. There was a small voice in the back of her mind telling her that maybe he was not quite as horrible as he seemed. Pushing that thought out, Sofia mentally prepared on a way to thank him in the most casual way possible come Monday morning.

By Monday Sofia was well-rested and her positive attitude was fully restored. Looking down at her schedule she knew her first class this morning was her first core potions class which she had to assist Severus with. Her mind filled will horrible thoughts as she imagined all the things Severus could possibly do to embarrass or belittle her in front of the students. Rushing down the elf staircase Sofia quickly entered the potions classroom which was already filled with 7-year students. Some of which looked older than her.

"Nice of you to join us, Professor Greene." She heard Severus' monotone voice from his desk. Not raising his eyes from the parchment he gestured for her to come closer. Sofia made her way towards him making sure to return some hello's which the students muttered to her. She stood next to Severus waiting for further instructions. Without looking at her he continued. "I will be demonstrating how to brew the _Draught of Living Death_. Here is a list. Make sure you bring me everything this instant." Sofia grabbed the small parchment, whispering the ingredients to herself as she made her way to the potions closet. "Silently if you can." His voice followed her. She chose to ignore his comment as she started gathering everything. She waved her hand quietly saying all the ingredients as they gathered themselves on her tray. She was missing the last one. She couldn't quite figure out what it was as the handwriting looked like chicken scratch. She pulled out her glasses and squinted again. Finally, she deciphered the text ' _sopophorous beans_ '. She quickly grabbed the last ingredient rushing back to the desk placing them all in front of Severus. He ignored her and begun teaching.

Watching Severus brew the potion was captivating. No matter what she thought about that crude man, everyone could agree that he was incredible at potions. Severus proceeded to explain to the students that not all of the directions within the book are correct. After Harry had discovered the _Half-Blood Prince_ and his book, Severus decided to stop hiding all of the new instructions which he had come up with during his time at school. Instead, he chose to share them with the students, knowing that it would not only make their life easier but also his own. Sofia was completely in awe at how meticulously he treated every ingredient. She pulled out her own textbook and quill and continued to fill in the gaps of the instructions which he continuously provided for his students.

"Are you just going to stand there or _assist_." his voice broke her trans. She put down her quill. And made her way to the professor picking up his tools and measuring the powdered root. "You are behaving more like a student than a professor Greene. I expect more from you." Severus made sure that she was the only one who heard his remark. She nodded ignoring the rudeness in his voice. "Go help the students." He gestured as he continued to stir his concoction. After Sofia made a round of each of the cauldrons, she made her way back to the chair next to the professor's desk. After Severus was finished rounding up the lesson. The students picked up their things and made their way out of the classroom. Sofia found this to be the perfect moment to quickly thank Severus for her hair.

"Thank you...for my hair." She spoke looking up at Severus who was busy cleaning his desk.

"Clean up the students mess Greene." He rasped. Sofia assumed he hadn't heard her and proceeded to clean the classroom. She watched as Severus turned to his drawers.

"What in Merlin's name?!" He spat through his gritted teeth. "Have you been rummaging through my papers?"


	6. Rekindle a Feeling

"Excuse me?" furrowing her eyebrows Sofia tore the glasses off her face, taking long strides towards Severus.

"What in the hell were you doing with my drawers?" Severus turned towards her, eyes darker than ever before. He slammed some of the papers onto the table. She noticed the bundle of lesson plans which she had been working on during the weekend. 

"Severus I just rewrote some lesson plans and placed them into your drawers!" Sofia tried to keep herself calm although for the first time the potions professor truly scared her rather than simply annoyed her. 

"It is _'Professor'_ to you! Did your mother forget to teach you manners, Greene?" Sofia clenched her fists, blood boiling at the mention of her mother. She looked at the ceiling mustering all her strength. 

"No, unfortunately not. My mother passed before she could teach me every single one of them!" Sofia held the professor's deranged gaze without blinking. Severus' fist slowly unclenched as he realized he touched a nerve. He proceeded to aggressively open his drawers as if looking for something specific. Once he had found whatever he was looking for, his breathing slowed down as he exhaled. He looked up at Sofia who was completely still. "Ms Greene. I do not want to catch you looking through my drawers again." He could see that there was a twinge of sadness in Sofia's eyes. Severus almost felt guilty for yelling at her without a clear purpose. In an effort to somewhat ease the situation, Severus grabbed the plans in one hand and his wand in the other. Sofia watched as he opened the last drawer in his cabinet and with a swift flick of his wand he cleared it out. He dropped her lesson plans into that drawer. The loud sound of the papers hitting the drawer made Sofia flinch. Looking up Severus gestured to the drawer. "You can keep your useless notes in here during the time that you teach in my classroom." With a quick motion of his hand, he locked the rest of the drawers, storming out. Sofia let out a loud growl before looking at her schedule, she had another class to teach right before dinner, but for now, she had some time to herself. Sofia decided to skip lunch and go straight to her room for some quiet. 

After only moments in her quarters, Sofia realized she needed some company. Only now did it dawn on her that she hasn't quite had a regular human interaction since tea with Minerva. Grabbing her wand Sofia went over to Remus, in hopes that he was already done with lunch. 

Knocking on his office door Sofia heard a faint _come in_ before she entered. 

"Sof! Darling how are you?" Remus was sitting at his desk, as Sofia came in he gestured for her to sit down. 

"I'm grand Remus, just grand!" She forced a smile.

"I'm assuming your potions classes are going well then?" he smiled at her sheepishly.

"Oh just swell!" Before he could say anything else, Sofia covered her face with her hands and let out a soft whimper. She felt tears streaming down her cheeks. She tried to stop the tears with all her might as she realized how stupid she must look.

"Sof are you crying? What on earth happened?" He walked around the desk kneeling next to her, placing his right arm over her shoulders.

"This is so embarrassing..." She mumbled.

He gently stroked her back. "Sofia Greene in my office crying-|" she looked at him, red-faced. "-it must have been something quite striking." Sofia proceeded to tell Remus the events which partook throughout her first core-class. 

"Sof, Severus can be extremely harsh, you out of all people should know that. I don't truly believe he purposely wanted for you to feel this way." Although Remus was extremely annoyed at Severus, wanting to say something completely different, if not something cruder, he knew that wasn't what she needed wanted to hear. 

"That's the thing, Remus. The fact that he is so careless with what comes out of his mouth is what drives me absolutely up the wall!" 

"Well, he would feel quite gutted if he knew how this made you feel..." Remus was about to continue implying that Sofia should probably speak to Severus but Sofia was having none of it.

"Not. A. Word. Remus. I don't want to give him the satisfaction." Sofia had now calmed wiping her face with the back of her hands. 

"I won't tell!" He laughed. "Come on, tell me more about these classes, I'm sure you're already swaying all of the students towards your side. I know how sweet you can be to them." Remus smiled.

"It's okay. I'd rather hear about you. How's everything with Tonks I haven't seen her in ages!" Remus took his place back at the desk and proceeded to tell Sofia about Tonks and him. An hour passed as they continued talking, Sofia felt whole again. She felt like she could face Severus once more today if she would have to. More time flew by and Sofia had to leave Remus' office. 

She taught the final potions class of the day in peace, as Severus was nowhere to be seen. The class ran smoothly, whilst the students brewed a new potion. After dinner, Sofia dipped to the potions classroom once more to pick up her quill and textbook. She was about to shut the door before she saw Tim. 

"Hi, Mr Parker. Here for your detention?" Tim simply nodded. "-unfortunately, I haven't seen Professor Snape around. Come in, I'll wait with you before he comes-" 

"There will be no need." She heard the ever familiar voice come from behind Tim. She looked up to see Severus towering over her.

"Mr Parker follow me." Tim followed Severus into the classroom as Sofia made herself scarce. 

"Mr Parker, if I may ask-" He paused "why exactly are you here?" He dragged the last word, inflicting complete fear on the 2nd year Slytherin. 

"I turned Professor Greene's hair green." He spoke not lifting his eyes from the ground. 

"Very well. This calls for some cleaning." Severus gestured for the boy to start scrubbing the floors. Severus sat at his desk and opened a book, eying Tim every once in a while to make sure he was doing his job. Eventually, Severus had realized that he couldn't focus on the words in front of his eyes. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind. No matter how hard he tried to push the thought of Sofia out of his head his mind still drifted back to her. He was either wondering if his earlier outburst was well deserved or if he had crossed a line. Frustrated he shut the book, and pulled out Sofias lesson plans. Whilst thoroughly reading them he was impressed at the amount of detail and work which went into the new plans with all the rewriting and restructuring. He was surprised, amazed even, at the amount of work she had managed to get done. He felt a strain in his chest which he later identified as guilt. Shoving the plans back into her drawer he proceeded to focus on reading. 

After an hour he decided that Tim was punished enough for the night. He was just about to let the boy head back to his dormitory before he remembered that he forgot to ask the most important question:

"Mr Parker." Tim looked up at his professor from the floor. "Why _did_ Ms Green take the house points in the first place?" He maintained a dark gaze. He noticed the student's demeanour shift. He was embarrassed, scared even. Severus' became increasingly frustrated as he noticed that Tim wasn't planning to open his mouth. 

"Out with it." He rasped.

"I called her a mudblood sir." Tim whispered. 

"Louder Mr Parker." Severus hoped he had misheard the child. 

"I called her a mudblood professor." Tim refused to lift his eyes. Severus expression quickly changed to anger. He got up from his chair and strode to the poor boy who looked like he was about to fall through the ground. Severus pulled the boy by his shoulder closer towards him. Clenching his jaw he calmly lowered himself looking into Tim's fear struck eyes.

"Mr Parker. I hope you will be excited to hear that I will have you scrub my floors every evening until the end of October for 2 hours a night." Before Tim could lower his eyes again, Severus pulled him by the shoulder forcing him to maintain eye contact. "If I hear you say that disgusting slur once more, I will not hesitate to send you home." He let go of Tim, who had been muttering _sorry professor_ over and over. 

"Get out." Severus barked. Tim scrambled for his things as he ran to the Slytherin common room. 

After he was gone, Severus stepped back, a painful memory had engulfed his mind bringing on a pain he had completely forgotten about. He rubbed his temples vigorously, pacing towards his desk. Resting his elbows, fingers still at his temples, he truly felt the intensity of the headache increase. No matter how hard he focused he could not erase the imaged which flooded his mind. He pictured the day he last spoke to Lily before her death over and over again. The day he ended their friendship by calling her a _mudblood._ He regretting nothing more in his life than that day. If he could go back in time and take it back he would have had more precious time with her before Voldemort took her life. Severus was never delusional enough to believe that Lily could love him back, especially after that incident. When she married James he had simply hoped to love her from a distance and keep her safe. Failing, years later, he still punished himself for all the little things which he wished he could have changed. Severus could not say that he loved Lily any longer after almost losing his life at the hands of Voldemort his motivations changed. But there were still days like today when his subconsciousness would force him to revisit the past and relive the same pain all over again. 


	7. Firewhisky

Severus' head was pounding. He never got a chance to rest after Dumbledore sent him on another mission last week. Even though Voldemort was now gone, there were still things left unfinished. Severus shut his eyes attempting to force Lily out of his mind. His brain was cluttered with neverending thoughts: Albus' insane plans, the ties which Sofia had to them, and to top it all off the memories of Lily. Severus' eyes clouded with pain and anger. He knew there was only one way he could rest his mind, so without a single doubt, he quickly apparated into Hogsmeade.

After buying two bottles of firewhisky, Severus made his way back to the school grounds. He preferred to walk back as he had hoped the October chill would clear his head. Meanwhile, Sofia was humming to a song in her room, reading over tomorrows core-lesson, dreading the morning, as she would be forced to teach by Severus' side again.

Reaching his quarters, Severus unlocked the door and before sitting down he placed one of the bottles on his office table, opening the second. Kicking off his shoes, removing his frock, he slouched on top of the closest armchair. Dark eyes facing a raging fire, he continued to think about Lily. He took another swig placing his free hand on his forehead. Soon the bottle was half empty and with that, his thoughts slowly started to fade as did the pain, until his mind wandered back to Sofia. Severus felt a wave of guilt as he remembered his outburst once more. It didn't help that he knew what Albus had in store for her. He struggled to understand why she was on his mind or why he was concerned. He didn't worry for long as when his lips touched the bottle again, he felt his thoughts dissolve, the fire being the only thing in the room that kept him warm.

The morning was a rough one for Sofia. She overstepped her usual bright and early wake-up and couldn't quite get her hair to stay put. She cursed at her hairbrush leaving her hair down rushing down for breakfast. Making sure to greet some students, Minerva and Hagrid as she passed by them grabbing a few pastries. Luckily she still had a few minutes before class, which she used to finish her cup of coffee overlooking the courtyard through her windows. She had a feeling of unease inside her which she chose to simply ignore. By the time she had made it to the potions classroom, the students just started pouring in. She greeted every single one of them patiently waiting for Severus. After the students had settled in she leaned her hips on the teacher's desk waiting. The students seemed calmer when Severus wasn't around, more at peace.

"Ms Greene?"

"Yes, Ms... Riley, I believe?" A 6th-year girl, who she had never spoke to before. Her robes were blue therefore she put the two and two together figuring she must be a Ravenclaw.

The girl put her arm down "How come you're teaching potions now?"

"Professor Snape frequently has to fill in for Professor Dumbledore as he has officially been appointed acting headmaster, therefore I'm currently picking up his classes to give him some space to breathe." She smiled.

"Does this mean that we'll be seeing you more often then?" She continued.

"I'm afraid so Ms Riley." Sofia smiled.

"Wicked!" the girl chuckled. A few other students also seemed pleased at the thought. After answering some more questions Sofia became increasingly aware that Severus was now quite late. It was 10 past 9 there was no sign of him. After a few of the students quizzed her about why Severus was not there, she became worried, mostly since this was a core 6th-year class. She allowed the students to chat for a few more minutes before realizing she had to go figure out what was happening.

"Alright settle down now." the students stilled.

"For now, please turn to page 271, and please read until page 278, I will be right back to direct you further!" Sofia firmly pushed herself off the desk and quickly marched out of the classroom. Her first thought was to go ask Minerva or Albus if they had seen him, but somehow she felt that in the long term that would make Severus even more annoyed at her than before. Remembering that his quarters were right down the hall past the Slytherin common room, she rushed towards them worried that the students might cause havoc the longer she's gone. After reaching his door she hesitantly raised her hand. After knocking three times, she waited.

And waited.

And waited.

She knocked again in hopes that he simply didn't hear her, but alas she got the same result. Suddenly she noticed that there was a crack between the door and the frame. Without a second thought, she pushed the door wide open looking into Severus' quarters.

To her surprise, Severus was sprawled across his bed face down with his left arm hanging from the double bed. Shirtless, his black hair covering most of his face. Mortified at what she saw she was about to leave when she noticed two empty bottles of whiskey on the floor; one half spilt and one completely empty. She was torn. She recalled how rude and inconsiderate Severus had been to her yesterday morning, yet she also remembered what it was like having a hangover when she was 18 let alone now. Sympathising with the latter, she shut the door. Making sure it closed behind her. On her way back, she pondered on how now they were even. Her now back to blonde, and he asleep.

"Unfortunately Professor Snape has some important matters to attend to, therefore I will be on my own this morning." She grabbed the book calmly looking at the ingredients. "Today we will be talking about the negative implications of using the Felix Felicis and how to successfully brew it." She smiled.

Later on, after she had already covered a second class, Sofie asked Zinky to bring her lunch to the dungeons. There were no more potions classes, therefore, she decided to use the afternoon to catch up with her own potion-notes. Feeling warm Sofia took off her sweater leaving her in a tank top, as she tossed the sweater on a nearby chair. She was so immersed in her thoughts gliding her quill across the parchment that she didn't notice the door squeak open. It was Severus who had managed to gather himself by noon. In front of him, he saw Sofia, intently writing something with her quill. Her hair down, with a black tank top which tightly hugged her waist and chest. Until now he had never seen Sofia reveal that much skin, even if it was just the minimal amount. He suddenly felt warm. His head throbbed reminding him of last night as he blamed his body overheating on the alcohol.

"Greene." She looked up. Seeing the professor with bags under his eyes and his black hair unusually frizzed. "I trust you have a good reason for eating in my office?" His voice was raspier than she was used to. Sofia swallowed her food and put her quill down, folding her hands resting her chin on her knuckles.

"Sorry, Severus. I wanted to get some work done before taking the rest of the day off." Sofia patiently waited for him to correct her use of his name, which to her surprise he didn't.

"Did you cancel the two classes I had this morning?" he continued softly.

"No." She simply stated. "I held both classes. Teaching the 6th years _Felix Felicis_ and the 3rd years the _Antidote to Common Poisons_." She picked her quill back up continuing to write.

"I did not permit you to take over my core classes." His voice was now low, jaw clenched as always. Sofia was becoming annoyed. She expected Severus to be somewhat grateful instead of scolding her.

"Yes well, the guidelines weren't totally clear on what to do when you have a class full of students and you find your colleague sprawled across their bed _passed out_." Severus was stunned at her response, half-embarrassed half-angry that she even caught a glimpse of him in that state.

"And you didn't wake me up, why?" He surprised himself when he asked that question. Sofia's mind was buzzing. What on earth did she expect him to hear from her? "Don't bloody answer that." He recoiled, as he swiftly left the room.

The rest of the week went by quietly. Sofia continued to assist core classes and led her own. Severus seemed to ignore her unless he needed something from her during class. She was content with that boring arrangement, even though sometimes she strangely missed having tiffs between classes. She wanted to forget that image of him in his bed, bottles of whiskey laying around, the fire almost completely out. Somehow she always found herself looking back at that mental image, especially any time she caught the professors gaze. Severus was not daft. He could see that Sofia stared at him more than usual, probably wondering what drove the man to drink himself into oblivion. As much as he pushed that night away, meeting Sofia's grey gaze gave him a reminder every time.

When Friday arrived the students were excited to greet Halloween. This October Halloween fell on a Saturday, therefore, Dumbledore decided to hold a small celebratory evening in the great hall for the students. He decided to surprise the students with the announcement during Friday's dinner feast. Sofia sat at the far end of the professor's table between Severus and Hagrid. Albus had made his way up to the podium preparing a speech.

"Now as you all may know, tomorrow is All Hallows' Eve!" The students erupted with cheers. "As a treat for every single one of you, I have decided to hold a little celebration tomorrow night. During the day you will all be able to go into Hogsmeade, of course, it might not be as enjoyable for some of you as the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th years must still be accompanied by a professor-" He heard some students groan "-but don't fret because in the evening you will all be welcomed to dance after the feast. All curfews will be postponed by 2 hours!" Sofia watched the children _oh_ and _ah_ in excitement. "-I have already found two 7-year Gryffindors who would be happy to provide the music. All the rest of you have to do is show up, have fun, and enjoy yourself!" All the students clapped. "Oh and one last thing. No costume, no entry." He wiggled his index finger. After the students had calmed, engulfed in conversations about what costumed they were planning to wear, Sofia continued to eat her food. She noticed Severus turn his head towards her. She shot him a glance before continuing to cut her steak. She felt his face inch closer to her ear as she could feel him breathing on her neck.

"I looked through your new lesson plans-" he whispered his deep voice in her ear. "I must admit they are very detailed. Some may even say they are quite the improvement from the old ones." Sofia's brows furrowed as she met his black eyes, making sure she heard him correctly. She had no idea where he was going with this, her mind was racing thinking of all the ways he could turn this into a backhanded compliment. "I would appreciate it if you rewrote the others as well." As he leaned back and continued to eat his food, Sofia was in awe. She kept replaying the sentence in her head thinking that she had somehow misunderstood him. She swallowed, looking down at her food and nodded. He stole a glance at her, noticing how startled she looked. "Don't look so surprised Greene. I did always appreciate hard work." and with that, he got up from the table, turning his eyes towards Albus. Without having time to process the interaction she watched Severus whisper something, which was followed by Albus also abruptly getting up and following Severus down the great hall. Before she watched them leave Severus glanced at her one last time across the room.


	8. All Hallows' Eve

Sofia was buzzing with excitement. As a child, her mum would always dress her up in silly costumes during Halloween, which in turn became her favourite holiday. It was a bittersweet memory as deep inside her heart, Sofia always knew why her mother preferred Halloween to other holidays. Every Halloween her mum watched Sofie devour endless amounts of candy. To the naked eye, this might seem like a simple thing which many overlook. However, Sofia had always known that her family consistently struggled with finances, even, therefore trick to treating was a rare treat for her as she almost never got the luxury to eat candy throughout the year, even during Christmas. 

"What am I going to wear Jamie?!"

"I know! This is ridiculous, they could have given us an earlier warning so we could at least get our parents to send us some costumes!" Sofia laughed as she heard some girls gossip towards the end of class. 

"Ms Greene!?" Sofia's head turned. 

"Yes, Ms Taylor?" 

"Who will _you_ be dressing up as tonight?" Sofia's smile quickly faded as she noticed Severus' judgmental look. He glared at both Sofia and Jamie in disbelief.

"I hardly doubt the Professors will be dressing up Ms-'

"A witch!" Sofia politely Intervened.

"Oh wow. But Ms Greene... you're... already a witch...?" Jamie looked confused. 

"I will be dressing up as the muggles portray us, Ms Taylor. It was my favourite costume when I was a little girl." Sofia shot Severus a warning look as if reminding him not to crush the 1st year's excitement. She watched as Severus raised his eyebrows, a small smirk playing on his lips. Before she could enjoy that rare moment a little while longer, his face faded back to his usual cold expression. 

"Remember to read the last 2 chapters. And do not be late tomorrow morning." Severus announced as he swept by Sofia exiting the classroom. 

"Alright everyone gather round!" Minerva exclaimed. The young students crowded her in the courtyard. 

"All of you quickly! Get into groups of 5 or 6 and find a professor!" Sofia had stood next to Minerva. She was excited to get out of the castle even if it meant having to chaperone a few students. Soon enough, a mix of some Gryffindor and Ravenclaw girls came up to her. 

"Could we go with you, Ms Greene?" 

"Of course!" Sofia smiled at the girls. She leaned in closer to Minerva. "Minerva, I can handle a few more students if you'd like...it doesn't seem like there will be enough teachers for this afternoon," Sofia whispered 

"That might be best Sofie...' Minerva replied whilst frantically counting the professors around the courtyard. 

"Girls is there anyone else you'd like to bring with you?" Without a doubt, the girls quickly gathered four more of their friends. After waving goodbye to Minerva, Sofia headed down to Hogsmeade. 

Sofia already had her costume planned out. She had all that she needed back in her quarters, therefore she didn't have to desperately panic like her students, rushing from store to store. "Slow down girls!" she huffed as she picked up the front of her cloak with her hands, catching up with them. She watched as a few of the girls purchased black parchment to hand-make some cat ears, whilst the others grabbed endless amounts of glitter. Soon enough the girls were all satisfied and made their way back to the castle grounds. 

Sofia quickly showered. She only had an hour before she had to head down to the great hall for the Halloween feast and dance. Drying her hair with a quick swish of her wand she gently curled it. Being a teacher at Hogwarts she had forgotten what it was like to dress up for an evening. She hadn't had a date in over a year. As she continued to put on some makeup she remembered what it was like getting ready for the annual Yule Ball when she was merely 17 years old. Smiling at the memory she put on some black lipstick to match her costume. Sofia faced her mirror in a floor-length silk black dress, with some black lace gloves ending right above her elbows. She completed her traditional witch look with a pointy hat. Stealing one last glance of herself she chucked as she thought that green hair would really fit her look right about now. She suddenly realized that she didn't have a place to hold her wand. With some quick thinking, she conjured a small black lace garter on her thigh. Pulling the dress to her side, revealing a slit which stopped around mid-thigh, she tucked her wand into the garter making sure it stayed put for the rest of the evening. 

The great hall had been completely transformed. There were ribbons cascading down the walls, hundreds of floating candles and Jacko-lanterns filled the empty space. The chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings had thousands of spiderwebs cascading down them, and the tables were already filled with plenty of Halloween themed dishes. She could feel Severus judgemental gaze on her as she entered the hall. Severus had eyed Sofia from afar, taking in her figure. He stopped himself as he noticed her look at him. Sofia quickly took her place between Severus and Hagrid on the table. To her surprise, many of the teachers had joined the festivities by putting in the littlest amount of effort into their costumes. She winked at Remus as she saw he had ironically placed some furry ears on top of his head followed by some whiskers. Hagrid had conjured a moving dragon's tale which was attached to his trousers. Minerva had also drawn some whiskers on her cheeks, this time wearing some deep purple wizarding robes. Sofia's eyes drifted to Severus who of course had completely neglected to make any attempt at a costume. 

"Going as a bat tonight I see?" She laughed eying him up. The callous man hummed at her, ignoring her as usual.

"Sofie! Ye look lovely!" Hagrid smiled nudging her side. "Thank you, Hagrid." Sofia smiled back. She could feel Severus rolling his eyes behind her. 

After the feast was over, and Albus held another wonderful speech, the dining tables magically disappeared and were replaced by an empty space where all the students gathered and begun to dance. Sofia watched, admiring the students dancing. She swayed with the music, watching some of the 6-year boys awkwardly ask some girls to dance. She giggled remembering herself at that age. Sofia sadly looked at the time realizing the dance was coming to a close whilst she had completely neglected to dance, she focused hard tying to rekindle the old memories of her dancing with her friends during her final year at Hogwarts. Her trans was interrupted as the music suddenly changed to a waltz. 

Albus suddenly began addressing the students who stopped in their tracks. "I believe all of you have been practising the waltz, correct me if I am the wrong Minerva?" Albus mused as Minerva simply nodded. "This is your chance to impress some of your peers, and remind yourself of some old steps which you might have forgotten!" Albus smiled as he finished speaking. The students seemed panicked. Most of the younger children rushed to the sides of the hall taking up seats. The older ones, however, contrary to Sofia's assumptions began dancing. Sofia had always loved to dance, she missed it dearly. Being a Professor rarely presented her with an opportunity to enjoy herself on the dance floor. She continued to sway to the music before she noticed a 7th-year boy who was dressed vaguely as a victorian ghost make his way towards her. 

'May I have this dance, Ms Greene?" She laughed. The boy was a Slytherin chaser perhaps a whole head taller than her. Before taking the boys hand, she looked at Albus, who reassured her that she was free to do as she pleased. Sofia was whisked away by the young boy. Albus followed her, by asking Minerva to dance with him. Soon enough many of the teachers proceeded to join Sofia and the other students. Sofia kept a safe distance from the boy as they waltzed. Severus watched from the corner of the room as Sofia swiftly glided across the floor. He felt uneasy as he noticed that almost all of the professors were now dancing. He saw a young Slytherin girl sitting on a chair by herself. He muttered something to himself before outstretching his hand to her as they also began to dance. Both the teachers and students were very familiar with waltzing. According to Hogwartz tradition, all graduating students had to waltz during their final ceremony therefore all of the 6th and 7th years partook in mandatory dance classes throughout the year. The male dancers began switching partners according to the music. Sofia was so taken by the music that she simply got carried away. Much to her surprise, her third partner was Severus. He towered over her as they continued to waltz, this body was stiff although he did not miss a single step, unlike the two students who danced with her before. Sofia awkwardly looked down at her shoes as she continued to dance with Severus. 

"If you keep looking down Greene, I expect you will trip over your own two feet." His voice low, barely audible over the music. She felt his grip tighten on her waist which forced her to look up, catching his dark eyes. "Good. I expect you to be an example. From what I can remember, you were exceptional at waltzing when you were a student." he fell silent, his expression still as ever. Sofia rolled her eyes as she remembered her 6th-year waltz lessons. Severus made it extremely hard for her as he always made her dance in front of the others. Unlike the other Head of House's Severus refused to teach his students how to dance himself. He simply appointed Sofia to do the dirty deed as he supervised. She made sure not to look down at her feet for the rest of the song, knowing he would scold her once more if he got the chance. The room was spinning as they finished the dance. Severus let go of her hand as she politely curtsied. He strode past her towards the rest of the professors who were now beginning to usher the students back to their dormitories. Huffing, she ran her fingers over the side of her waist which was now free from Severus' grip. She felt someone's eyes on her neck. She spun around, something inside her hoped it was Severus. Pushing the thought out of her mind she searched for him in the crowd. After her eyes fell on him she merely saw him speaking to one of the students. Suddenly a younger Gryffindor student caught her by the forearm asking her something. Severus looked up at her from the other side of the hall watching her soft features as she interacted with the girl, hoping she didn't catch him staring. 


	9. Young Love

"Albus I can no longer do this."

"Are you telling me you're tired Severus, is that was this is?"

"Of course I am tired." Severus barked. "I have been going in circles. Endless circles. And we are hardly any closer to the solution."

"I don't believe we should be talking about this now." Dumbledore sipped his wine. "The children have all gone to bed. Enjoy the night." He smiled.

"Albus this is breaching insanity I-"

"I do not need other professors hearing this Severus. Now, if you would like to discuss this you are more than welcome in my office any time but _now_." Severus gritted his teeth. Frustrated, he turned his back to Albus as he swiftly made his way towards the drinks table for another glass of wine. He was exhausted. His trips had become almost constant, this was one of the rare weekends which he got to enjoy to himself, but his mind was still plagued by Dumbledore's orders.

"Alright!" Sofia announced as she walked into the lounge. "All of the Slytherins are finally in their dorm's I think it is safe to say that I can finally enjoy a well-deserved glass of wine!" She smiled picking up a glass, as some of the professors laughed. Remus made it over to her side.

"How was putting them down, did they resist more than usual?"

"Merlin! You make it sound like they're animals, Remus!"

"Well I'm not too far off am I?' He quirked an eyebrow. Sofia wrapped her fingers tightly around the stem of the glass.

"I have to be honest, this 2-hour curfew extension which Albus came up with has made it insanely more difficult tonight."

"Especially after such an eventful night..." Minerva joined in. "Pamona and I had to force some of the girls out of the common room. They simply refused to bid their goodbyes to some of their _respective_ friends." Minerva pursed her lips.

"Ah, of course, young love..." Sofia pondered.

"Say, Sof, do have any fond memories of... _refusing to leave the common room_?" Remus nudged Sofia continuously as Minerva giggled resembling a schoolgirl. Sofia groaned. 

"Come on Sof, give us old folks something to smile about." Remus spoke as he sipped his wine and Minerva shot him a stern look. 

"You two are not old!! Besides I was too focused on studying to think about those sort of things..."

"If I remember correctly Sof, there was a time where they had to physically pull a Slytherin Seeker back to his room after the Christmas Ball during your...6th year I believe?" Remus smirked. She squinted her eyes at Remus. She tried to remember that evening. She couldn't quite figure out how he knew about this, she was sure that Remus wasn't patrolling the hallways that night.

"Do tell Sof, what was the guy like?"

"I don't like to kiss and tell Remus! And no one had to physically pull anyone!" Sofia jabbed his side. "Peter was a lovely boy, him and I were quite close during my first year at Hogwarts, he was extremely talented at Herbology."

"Of course! Peter Zain." Minerva added. Both Remus and Sofia were shocked at Minerva's memory. "Where is he now anyway? I remember he was an extraordinary Seeker. Gave the Gryffindors quite a tough time during the games."

"Unfortunately we fell out during the summer. I haven't heard from him since graduation."

"Well, he sounds like a sweet lad." Remus placed his glass on the side table. "Anyways, it was lovely speaking to you ladies but I'm afraid I must depart now. See you all in the morning." Remus left the room as Sofia continued to chat with Minerva.

Meanwhile, Severus quickly got sick of socializing with his colleagues as he made his way out. He grabbed the glass of wine and propped himself against the railing overlooking the black lake. He looked at the grass as he remembered the night he unhexed Sofia. He enjoyed the silence around him. Although he had nothing against his fellow coworkers he always preferred solitude. Unfortunately for him, Sofia had the same thought. He heard the door of the lounge squeak open before hearing the faint laughs of the professors from the inside, which was followed by the sharp sound of a woman heels hitting the stoned ground.

"Enjoying yourself?" Sofia's voice interrupted the silence as she joined him.

"I was." Although his rude response would usually be the queue for Sofia to leave she stayed. They stood silent for some time, both enjoying the wind and the moon reflecting over the black lake.

"I was surprised to see you dance today Severus" Sofia broke their comfortable silence. She knew that her comment was risky, but something urged her to make an attempt at a conversation.

"And why is that?" Severus muttered looking down at his empty glass.

"See, I thought you wouldn't have known how to dance at all." Sofia shrugged her shoulders, a slight smile playing at her lips.

"You assumed that after teaching here for over a decade I wouldn't be able to partake in a simple waltz?" Severus quirked an eyebrow as he turned to look at Sofia who was already staring at him. Sofia was in disbelief that Severus was capable of having a normal conversation with her.

"No, I had just figured you completely forgot, since the last time you did it was probably over 100 years ago..." She bit her lip. She knew she was pushing it way past the horizon at this point. But to her surprise, Severus simply let out a small laugh. It was a deep course laugh, which she had never heard before. She was sure that this was an absolute rare occurrence. They both fell silent again before Sofia decided she wanted to ask him another question.

"I have a very strange question which I would like to ask you, _Professor._ " She hated having to refer to him like that as it always reminded her that she was still somehow beneath him. Severus gave a sly nod in return.

"Remus brought up some of my lesser memorable antics form the time I was a student at Hogwarts..." She began. "Do you remember Peter Zain by any chance?" Severus looked up his eyes showing an emotion which she couldn't quite place.

"Yes. He was bloody horrible at potions." He groaned.

"And do you by any chance remember the Christmas ball night, during my first year?"

"Ms Greene, are you referring to the time when I caught you and Mr Zain in the common room after hours?" Sofia was once more impressed by one of her Professors memories.

"How on earth do you remember that? "

"-Because it was one of the rare occasions in which I had to deduct a relentless amount of points from my own house." He looked at her clenching his jaw tightly at the memory. Severus was always very cautious with Slytherins, as many of the Professors knew he was secretly extremely competitive, and Slytherins rarely won the House Cup.

"I do remember thinking that punishment was extremely harsh." Severus scoffed at her retaliation, "-and why is Remus aware of any of this?"

"I am sure you are now aware of the fact that the professors sometimes enjoy discussing their students behind closed doors. It was simply brought up during a night similar to this one, as we were quite surprised to see such a- " he paused "- _hardworking,_ student partake in such activities."

"Was that a compliment Professor?" She smiled.

"Don't test your luck, Greene." He twisted a large ring around his index finger with his thumb as he continued. The ring resembled a thick silver band with dark stone. "Besides, your work ethic was the main reason why Albus decided to hire you after Minerva suggested it." Severus leaned further onto the railing, taking a long pause before speaking again. "What made you go back to the muggle world?" Sofia was shocked to hear him ask that question, as she knew Severus rarely showed any interest in her personal life, anyone personal life for that matter...

"To be quite frank with you, I failed to find my place in the wizarding world when I left school, so I thought it might be simpler to rejoin what I knew best." Sofia sighed. He rolled his eyes.

"I am assuming you found a decent job then?" He looked up at her, watching her grey eyes dart from place to place.

"Well...there were bars, restaurants and of course anything else that I could get my hands on. London is quite tough for someone who is missing a bachelor's degree." Sofia remembered the days where she functioned on 3 hours of sleep just so she could cover her rent. "I quite enjoyed the bar I worked at. I always loved talking to people, it seemed like the perfect fit for me then." She wasn't lying. Every night at the bar, there met a new person who was in desperate need of having someone to talk to, and Sofia was always happy to listen, no matter the scope of the problem.

"Hm." Was all she heard in return. She finisher her last drop of wine, as she felt that Severus was up to his capacity with talking. She abruptly pushed herself up from the railing.

"I'll go check on the students one last time before heading to bed. I hope you enjoyed the dance, Severus." Severus nodded. He heard the sound of her shoes disappear down the hallway. He pondered for a moment, wondering if she had referred to the evening or the few minutes they danced together. He glanced at her one last time as she disappeared onto the staircase, her hips swaying with every step. He felt a warm familiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. Meanwhile, Sofia made her way down to the Slytherin common room. She was happy to not find any of the students still up, she was just about to head back to her quarters before she heard a faint sound. A laugh perhaps? She slowly made her way towards the back of the room. Suddenly the noise died down. She pulled back the curtain to reveal two students snogging in front of her. The first thought Sofia had was panic as she had absolutely no idea how to deal with this. Does she take house points? Take them straight to Severus? Or Albus? Her mind was racing as the two students quickly separated from each other.

"Professor Greene, I'm so sorry! Please...don't...I'm-" The girl stammered.

"We were just about to head back to our dormitories!" The boy interrupted.

" _Both of you. Out, now. Follow me._ " She heard the two students curse as she led them through the dungeons. She was relieved to see the light shining from underneath Severus' office door. She softly knocked on the door making sure to look back at the two students who were absolutely petrified with fear. "Yes?" She heard an annoyed menacing growl. She pushed the door open to reveal Severus behind his desk writing something aggressively with his quill. Slowly looking up, Severus had already gathered what happened. He exhaled a loud breath as he waited for one of them to speak. Deafening silence filled his office.

"I don't remember you being mute Professor Greene?" He leaned back in his chair, resting his left palm on his face, index finger lightly tapping on his cheek.

"I found these two in the common room." Sofia paused.

"Doing what...?"

"Snogging." Sofia firmly replied. She watched as Severus momentarily shut his eyes taking in another deep breath.

"Leave them with me." He gently gestured for Sofia to leave. Severus looked exhausted. Sofia quickly walked out of the room. Although she knew there was no point for her to stick around, she was curious to see what Severus would do with the poor children. She almost felt guilty for bringing them to him. After hearing Severus raise his voice a number of times, she heard the office door open, the two love birds rushed back to their rooms. She watched as Severus stepped out of his office. He felt Sofia next to him, turning he locked eyes with her.

"Did you find more students for me to deal with?"

"No." Without breaking eye contact she paused. "I was just curious to see what punishment you gave them."

"I simply explained the implications of what they were doing and warned them of what would happen if there would be any more future occurrences." Sofia's lips gently parted.

"That's it?" She was shocked to see Severus be so forgiving.

"Don't look so surprised. I am feeling very lenient tonight Ms Greene." _Either because of her or the wine_ , he thought to himself.

As Sofia was already beginning to head towards the small elf door she felt his gaze pierce her back.

"Greene-" He softly breathed as she turned to face him. "-Goodnight."


	10. The Beast

November brought windy nights to the castle. Sofia continued teaching by Severus' side 3 times a week simultaneously improving her own classes. Severus was becoming more comfortable with having Sofia around his space, by mid-November, they got used to working quietly together side by side.

"Did you go into my storeroom Greene?" She heard his voice from the hallway one evening. 

"I would hardly say I managed to _go into it_. It is an absolute mess." 

"Watch it, Greene-" She heard the sound of crystal viles softly clicking against each other. "I can not find the pearl's dust..." She could almost hear the eyes rolling bak into his headIf I find out you shattered it..." he warned her. Sofia huffed as she made her way over to the potions storeroom. She watched as Severus was roughly moving every vile looking for the pearl dust on the third shelf. Sofia observed him, thinking to herself that if she ever wanted to reach that shelf on her own she would have to at least climb up the second step of the ladder. 

"Top left corner." She smirked. His head paused. He slowly looked up, as his slender fingers snatched the vile. 

"You know, if you cleaned this room more often maybe you'd find the things you're always looking for..." Her cheeky voice followed him as he marched back to the classroom.

"And you know if you keep up this tone, **you** will be the one cleaning that storeroom instead of my students." She could almost hear the smirk on his face. Sofia rolled her eyes as she knew she had already sorted the storeroom multiple times while Severus was away, she was always driven mad by the mess and un organization of his storage spaces. Severus was well aware of that fact, although he wasn't planning to acknowledge any of Sofia's efforts. He refused to admit that her secret intentions made his life a little easier on some days. 

The second weekend of November rolled around. Sofia spent her entire Saturday rewriting old lesson plans and reading, as she didn't feel like socializing with the other professors. Severus also enjoying his solitude in his office. He graded some of the papers which he had leftover from the week and similarly to Sofia, spent some quality time reading. A few students came knocking at his door throughout the day, they noticed that he was slightly more irritable than usual. Severus was unsure whether this was due to the fact that he finally had a day off and didn't want the children to disturb him, or that every time he heard a soft knock on his door... a part of him secretly hoped it was Sofia. By the time the sun was setting, Sofia knew it was time to grab some food and maybe reach out for some human contact. Upon entering the great hall she saw Hagrid sitting at his usual place.

"Hi, handsome!" She laughed leaning her body across from him at the teacher's table. 

"Sofie! I thought yeh forgot about me by now?" He smiled looking down at his food. Sofia's chest tightened with guilt. She had promised she'd visit him as often as possible, but after starting the potions classes she had completely neglected him. 

"I know! I'm so sorry. I actually wanted to ask if you would like to have some tea later at your hut?" 

"How can I say no te that?" Hagrid smiled. "I was meaning to show yeh something I found in the _Forbidden Forest_ anyway." 

"That's perfect. I'm excited Hagrid, I'll make my way to your hut after I change out of these annoying robes." Sofia waved as she hurried back to her room with her plate of food. She always preferred to eat in her room instead of the great hall. Not because she preferred to eat alone, but because she simply disliked being in such a large space. She always enjoyed having someone around when she ate, but something about the size of the hall always made her feel uneasy. Perhaps it was the memories of eating there as a student 3 times a day which forced her to push to find alternatives. 

Dusk shadowed over the castle, the clouds became endless and dark. Some stars became visible from Sofia's windows, twinkling over her. The sky took on a deep purple shade. She relished in the beauty of her surroundings one last time before changing into some black jeans and a simple sweater. She pulled her short hair up into a ponytail and rushed out through the quad, making her way along the lake until she could finally see the tall black trees from the Forbidden Forest getting bigger. Even after being at Hogwarts for years, she still felt a chill creep up her spine as she looked out into the pitch-black forest. She quickly knocked on Hagrid's door and waited as she admired the grey stones. Soon enough the door opened to reveal what once was home.

"Come in!" He laughed. "Didn't have to knock yeh know, yeh lived here once." He smiled. Hagrid was warming up the water for the tea on the stove. She sat down by the small wooden table and patiently waited for Hagrid. After she was handed her usual huge cup of tea she watched him sit down by her side. She leaned into him. She missed this. The familiar feeling, feeling another drop of guilt as she realized how long it's truly been since the last time she was here.

"I'm sorry I didn't come earlier..." She smiled pulling her hair out of her ponytail. 

"Don't worry yourself. I know how demandin' Severus can be." He let her rest on him. "How is everythin' goin' anyway?" 

"It's getting better. He's warming up to me I guess." 

"Tell me more Sofie. I can see yer dying to talk." 

"It's hard. He is always so distant. Sometimes I feel like I'm making progress and then other times he shuts me out for the smallest thing and scolds me like one of his students..." Hagrid who was looking outside of his window nodding at her words. 

"Why are yeh worried? Yer making it sound like you care. That doesn't sound like the Sofie I know." He laughed looking down at her. He noticed as Sofia pouted. "Oh, so ye care about what the old git thinks of yeh!" 

"It's not like that Hagrid. I just want to get along with someone who I see 3 times a day you know." 

"I'm sure that's all it is Sofia." He continued as sarcasm laced his tone. "I've known ye longer than ye know..." He wiggled an eyebrow at her.

"Come off it Hagrid." She pushed him. Although his large frame barely seemed to shift. "Now what did you want to show me?"

He shot her a serious look. "Well. I have to warn ye. It's quite rough."

"I think I can handle it. Come on, show me." Hagrid pushed himself up from his chair. Grabbing a lantern he gestured for her to follow him. Shutting the door, Sofia once more admired the tall trees around her. She watched as Hagrid entered the pitch-black forest. She could feel a shiver going down her spine again. She never loved the forbidden forest. Especially after helping Hagrid teach, she knew better than anyone what lurked between the trees, what's worse was that she also knew that she couldn't possibly predict what could possibly come out at her from the bushes. She caught up with Hagrid, hanging onto his forearm. The black trees engulfed them. Soon, even when Sofia looked up she couldn't see the sky. All she saw around was darkness. The wind whistled by her as she tightened her grip around Hagrid. 

"Not scared are ya?" he continued following the small path. Sofia stayed silent. She felt the branches drag across her shoulders as Hagrid continued to lead her deeper into the forest. She squinted trying to see past the lantern, but alas she saw nothing. She heard hooves hitting the ground in the distance, followed by the cracks of sticks and leaves under her feet. Soon enough she and Hagrid arrived at what seemed to be a stone pit. Making their way to the edge, Sofia leaned over. "Now I want ye to be open-minded Sofie." He warned her. "He might seem like a beast but I assure you he can be quite calm." He reassured her. Sofia let go of his arm and made her way to the edge of the pit. Below, she saw what looked like a dark figure of a horse? She squinted her eyes at the moving figure. Suddenly the figures head jerked towards her. It flapped its wings and roughly moved its body angrily towards Sofia. Gasping, she stepped backwards into Hagrid. He protectively shoved her behind him as he started yelling at the figure. Sofia hastily pulled out her wand and whispered _'Lumos Maximus'_. She was shocked to see the creature in front of her. She came up from behind Hagrid to observe it closer. The creature released a scream which sounded like millions of nails gliding over a chalkboard. Sofia observed and took in what she saw. A deranged lions head attached to a huge black-haired body. Two large grey wings sticking out uncomfortably from each side. Upon further examination, she saw a goat's head poking out from the back of the beast's body. The front paws seemed to be similar to a lion but the back were hooves. Suddenly she heard a hiss come from behind the animal. She watched as a black snake approach her attempting to strike. She stepped back again observing the creature. Its eyes were red as blood.

" _Chimera._ " Sofia whispered. 

"A what now?" 

"A Chimera. My mother used to tell me tales about this one. I hardly believed it existed. It is a Greek mythological creature, there's one thing that concerns me the most about him though." Sofie's brows furrowed. Hagrid looked at her, confused. "From what she told me, Chimeras breathe fire." As if on queue, the beast roared and released an impressive stream of fire. Hagrid grabbed Sofia and stepped back. Sofia was in disbelief. 

"I want to see it closer." She announced. 

Hagrid's mouth shot open. "Have yeh completely gone insane?!"

"I'll be careful I promise." Hagrid was hesitant to let go of her arm. Sofia slowly walked back up to the edge of the pit. She watched as the creature flapped its wings and moved towards her. Holding up her wand she tilted her head to see it better. She leaned forward to examine it, making sure to keep a safe distance. Within a second the creature had extended its paw and angrily launched at Sofia. Before she could realize what had happened she found herself on the ground, she could faintly hear Hagrids voice as she tried to reach towards her aching arm. Excruciating pain shooting through her body. She looked at her arm and saw red. Suddenly everything in Sofia's eyes went dark. 

* * *

Severus had spent the evening rereading the papers from his 1st-year students. He hated those the most. He could barely understand their gibberish and the level of knowledge which they presented was astonishingly low. Suddenly he heard a frantic knock at his door. He whispered a faint _come in_ before the door burst open. Hagrid burst through his office holding a barely conscious Sofia. 

"She told me to bring er anywhere but Poppie's. She's refusing ta go ta the infirmary, and I couldn't find Albus!" Hagrid was frantic. Severus placed his papers on his desk and quickly pulled up a chair. Hagrid gently placed Sofia on the chair by the fire. 

"No...not here Hagrid..." Sofia whispered. 

"Sorry pet." He muttered. Severus was shocked, to say the least, as he watched Sofia's blood drip on his carpet. He quickly kneeled next to her, raising her arm. He examined the deep gashes which laced her forearm, he felt the warms of her blood drip down his palm as he tried to get a closer look. 

"Merlin!" She winced. 

"Patience Greene," Severus whispered, refraining from rolling his eyes at her discomfort. He pulled out his wand. Slowly starting to trace her forearm whispering something incomprehensive. To Sofia, it sounded like a song. Hagrid watched as her wound started to knit together, the blood slowly reversing back into her body. Soon enough Sofia's pale forearm was back to its original state. Severus shoved his wand back in his cloak as he strode over to Hagrid. 

"Get her out of my office this instant before anyone else sees." He spat through his teeth. Hagrid quickly picked up Sofia and left Severus' office. Severus' blood was pumping with adrenalin as he paced his office. His mind was filled with millions of unanswered questions. After massaging his temples one last time he sat down on his chair. He looked at the carpet seeing small spots of Sofia's blood. His mind raicing with theories of what on earth could have possibly happened to her. 


	11. Healing

Sofia woke up with the sun shining in her eyes and a soft knock at her door. She painfully squinted, looking outside into the quad seeing some students running around. She sat up holding her head in the palms of her hands. Looking down at her forearm she noticed a faint scar. Suddenly the memories of last night rushed to her head. She remembered the Chimera, Hagrid carrying her and Severus healing her. She felt her cheeks warm up after she'd realized she was in Severus office bleeding and barely conscious. She completely forgot that someone had been knocking at her door. Realizing she must have been extremely rude, she quietly announced that she was decent and whoever it was could come in. Minerva slowly opened the door, before shutting it behind her.

"Merlin! Sofie, I thought you were unconscious..."

"I'm sorry, I was simply asleep." Sofia's voice was quiet. She was embarrassed to face Minerva. Somehow she felt that it was her fault that she was in this situation.

"It"s quite alright dear. How are you feeling?" Minerva sighed as she sat at the edge of her bed.

"I'm fine. Just a little lightheaded.

"I'll ask Zinky to bring you some food." Minerva knew not to question what happened to Sofia, as she felt that Sofia would tell her when the time was right.

"I am so embarrassed."

"Why?" Minerva asked surprised, not understanding why Sofia would utter such a thing.

"I remember Severus having to conjure a spell to help my wound..."

"Well, that's the least I would have expected him to do," Minerva chuckled. "He would have done the same for any of us."

"I guess." Sofia smiled. Her and Minerva chatted for a little while longer before Sofia started to feel lightheaded once again. Zinky brought her some bread and butter which she hesitantly took. Minerva promised to come again to visit her before leaving her be. Sofia began reading her Greek Mythology book, but after a few sentences, she felt her eyelids getting heavy as she fell asleep again.

* * *

Sofia woke up once more as she heard who faint knocks. She gathered herself, brushing her hair to her side expecting Minerva.

"Come in." She whispered. The door opened to reveal Severus. After a few seconds of deafening silence, he awkwardly made his way towards a chair which was next to her unlit fireplace.

"How are you feeling?" His voice filled her room. He seemed concerned although Sofia hardly believed it.

"Fine." He huffed at her response leaning back in his chair.

"Let me see your arm." He hesitantly got up and made his way to Sofia's bed, pulling her arm out from underneath the covers. He softly took her arm in his hands, dragging his fingers across her new scar. Sofia felt goosebumps begin to rise on her arms which she blamed on the sudden breeze coming from the cracked open window. "I would say its healing quite well. " He mused.

"All thanks to you." she nimbly smiled at him. He held her arm for a little while longer before softly placing it back on the bed.

"Albus is away. Therefore I need to know exactly what happened." He continued as he made his way back to the leather chair.

"A Chimera."

Severus folded his arms over his chest observing her, "A what?"

"Chimera. Greek Mythological creature." she simply stated. Severus observed the young woman face, pursing his lips. He found himself admiring her grey eyes which seemed to dart from one corner of the room the other.

"Expand Greene." He lazily blinked.

"A creature. Which has multiple creatures within. It clawed at me. Hagrid had it under control-"

"I'm sure he did..." He cut in. Sofia quickly became worried. The last thing she needed was Hagrid getting into any trouble for her stupidity.

"It was my fault. I wanted to see it closer."

"And I presume that was an extremely stupid decision." He looked around her room avoiding eye contact, as she sighed knowing he was correct to some extent.

"I don't presume you're here to check on my well being. Now since I've told you everything, you can deal with the beast yourself." She avoided his eyes as she spoke feeling his eyes on her. A part of Severus wanted to _touch_ her again, perhaps to make sure she was okay, however, he continued.

"We have a core class tomorrow. I wanted to make sure you are well enough to be of assistance."

"I assure you, I'm fine." Sofia forced a smile, hearing him grunt.

"I'll be in my office." He quickly uttered before getting up and exiting her room. Sofia exhaled a breath letting her head fall back against her headboard, _that_ _man is going to drive me insane_ _,_ she thought. Some part of her wanted him to stay a little longer. failing to understand that feeling she simply chose to ignore it. Lowering her body deeper into the sheets she shut her eyes.

* * *

Sofia woke up still feeling lightheaded. Putting on her black teaching robes and brushing her hair into a tight bun, she made her way through the elf door, up to the dungeons. She walked into the classroom a half an hour early, hoping Severus wouldn't be there in order to prepare herself for another core class. Pushing the heavy door open she found him sitting at the teacher's desk.

"Morning." His silken voice filled the room.

"Good morning." There was obvious tension in the room. Neither her nor Severus knew why the room felt so heavy. Sofia swiftly began gathering the ingredients for the portion which Severus was going to demonstrate to a class full of 5th years. As she walked back from the storage room she lightly tripped over a cobblestone.

"Watch it, Greene. I don't want to spend more hours cleaning your blood from my floors." He expressed not lifting his eyes from the parchment.

"I'm sure that was quite the challenging task for such a _talented_ wizard as yourself." She returned, eyeing him. He simply looked up at her smirking, clearly accepting her comment as a compliment. Sofia continued to put together the ingredients and fetching clean cauldrons. Soon enough the students started to flood the classroom. The lesson began in mere seconds as Sofia spent the entire class by Severus' side, catering to his every need. The last thing she needed was him scolding her for poor assistance. Severus began to brew another potion as Sofia circled the room, helping some of the students. Her eyes watched his slender hands slowly proud liquids and powders into the cauldron, the colour of the liquid changing from a dark blue to a starking bright purple. Severus could feel her watch him. He eyed her face from where he was standing as he continued to stir the potion. Having her watch him work ignited a certain passion in Severus which he hadn't felt in years. He continued to demonstrate the potion for the students as Sofia wrote down some notes. Suddenly Sofia heard a faint shriek come from a Hufflepuff girl.

"Spider!"

"Just kill it and get on with your work." Severus hissed. The girl seemed mortified as were many of the other students. Sofia rolled her eyes as she made her way over to the girl. In the girl's defence, the spider was quite big, resembling a grey huntsman. Sofia slowly lowered herself, placing her palm next to the spider as it gently crawled into her open hand. Astonishingly, the spider took up Sofia's entire palm. Severus watched as the kids gasped in horror. Sofia simply held the spider in her hands lightly petting it.

"He seems quite sweet..." Sofia smiled.

"Professor Greene. I do not have time for this foolishness." Severus muttered as Sofia pouted to herself. She slowly raised the spider closer to her mouth, as if she was going to swallow it whole. She heard a few petrified shrieks from the students as she continued to jokingly bring the spider closer to her mouth, making sure to look back at Severus who now had a prominent smirk on his face. Eventually, after a few students had gone a little too pale, she moved her hand away from her face and let the spider out into the dungeon hallway to roam free. Soon enough the class had come to an end. The student all rushed out of the damp room as Sofia stayed behind cleaning. She began to clean the cauldrons by hand at the sink before she felt Severus' eyes burn into her.

"Why are you not using your magic Greene?" She heard his faint deep voice from the desk.

"It clears my head." She whispered, continuing to scrub them. Severus placed his quill down and walked over to Sofia. He watched for a minute as she continued to thoroughly hand clean all of the instruments. Sofia was surprised to notice him roll up his sleeves, grab a dirty cauldron and join her at the sink. They stood next to each other, cleaning in silence for a few minutes before Severus awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Sofia, I can clean what's left on my own. You need to rest." His voice came in almost a whisper. Sofia was shocked as it was the first time she had heard him use her first name. The sound of her name dropping from his lips left her in awe.Looking up at his black eyes, he quickly diverted his gaze back to the sink, as if knowing what she was thinking. Ignoring a small shiver on her spine, Sofia continued cleaning, the tension between them fading with every cauldron.

"I want to keep working." She said as she shook her hands from the water.

"Why?"

"If I don't, I just keep seeing the Chimera." She muttered looking down embarrassed. Severus grunted before walking over to his desk. He ran his hands over the oak wood, examing the endless piles of parchment. She watched him intently read something for a second before grabbing a piece of parchment and making his way back to her. 

"I need this rewritten." He handed her a messy parchment containing endless scribbles of black ink as she smiled at him.

"Do you mind if I rewrite it here?"

He looked down at her with a cold expression before faintly waving his hand, gesturing for her to follow him. Severus pulled up the closest chair by his desk, indicating for her to sit down, watching as her body made its way closer to him. He suddenly couldn't help his eyes wander to her hips and chest. As he watched her, he felt the pit of hit stomach tighten. As if on reflex, he quickly glanced towards his desk in order to distract himself. However, he wasn't quick enough, as Sofia had already noticed how he was looking at her, adrenalin similarly rushing through her veins hoping that he would keep looking. They sat in silence. Him reading, her rewriting his notes, occasionally pushing her glasses up her nose. Severus watched as Sofia attentively dragged her index finger across his notes. "I have to admit. You have been making my life _slightly_ easier this term."

"Well of course!" She threw her hands up looking at him with a soft smile. "I'm an extraordinary assistant."

"Don't get so cocky." He gritted before going back to his reading. Sofia smiled to herself as she continued rewriting his texts. The two spend the rest of the night in silence working side by side. Both refusing to admit that they secretly enjoyed each other's silent company.


	12. Residual Arguments

Christmas break was right around the corner. Both the students and the professors seemed to be excited. The students to go home to their families and the professors to rest from all the noise. Sofia was wrapped in her winter cloak as she walked back to the main building from Hagrid's hut. She made sure to check in with him about how he felt about the Chimera being removed. Hagrid was simply happy that the Chimera was released, even though he was quite excited to show the creature to the students, the board seemed the removal necessary after it had shown clear signs of aggression. Sofia wrapped herself up tighter as she felt the snowflakes land on her eyelashes. The towers of the building were beginning to be covered in a thin layer of snow as the students played in the quad. Right entering the building she heard yelling. At first, she had assumed it was a friendly snowball fight between some 5th-year boys, she soon realized that it was way more intense than that.

"You arse! Don't you dare-"

"I will break your nose I swear-" She quickly turned to see a group of students huddled around two boys. She made her way over to the crowd, pushing past the students who seemed visibly excited. Many of them chanted 'fight' over the two boys whilst some of the others tried to pull them apart. Sofia quickly stepped into the pit and observed as two 5th-years, Christopher and Robert, threw punches at each other. Sofia knew that taking out her wand could've been deemed as unnecessary so she physically pulled the larger student off of the other.

"What in Merlin's name do you two think you're doing!" She hissed.

"Ms Greene!-" Christopher spoke as he tried to pull away from her. She knew that if he had pulled a little harder he would have easily escaped her grasp.

"If you don't calm down this instant I will be calling the headmaster!" She warned them. Both of the boys seemed to quiet down before the smaller student spat at the others face. As she felt a few of the drops on her wrist, her eyes became dark. _"If both of you don't stop this second, I will be calling the headmaster. And you best hope that professor Dumbledore is around because if not, you will be dealing with **Professor Snape**!"_ Suddenly both the students froze. Their arms fell to the sides of their bodies, and their heads hung low with defeat. She gently released Christopher, wiping her hand on her cloak. "Show's over. All of you, back inside!" The students instantly dispersed. She knew that both Christopher and Robert were Gryffindors so it was only fitting that she brought this issue up to Minerva. "Professor McGonagall's office. Now." She hissed before following the two students into Minerva's office. Minerva seemed distraught as she saw the two dishevelled boys, one had a split lip, and the other's eye seemed to be becoming blue.

"Before I deduct endless amount's of points, would anyone please explain to me why violence was necessary in the first place?" Her voice was calm but her eyes were full of rage which seemed to scare even Sofia.

"Professor, Christopher was flirting with Amaria and she- "

"She spoke to me first you git."

"Language!" Both Minerva and Sofia said in unison. "Now. 15 points from each of you. Back to your dorms now!" Minerva scolded as Sofia stifled a small laugh. She couldn't possibly believe that such an aggressive fight broke out due to a girl. Minerva gave her a warning look before her face relaxed as well.

"Well?" Sofia smiled.

"I'm just glad it wasn't about something more serious..." Minerva pursed her lips. "Thank you for bringing them here, and not to Severus."

"Of course, Minerva." Sofia nodded as she stepped out of Minerva's office. Sofia quickly walked back to her room changing out of her snowy clothes. She showered and grabbed her glasses out of her bedside table. Forgetting to dry her hair she quickly placed her glasses on the tip of her nose before glancing out her window. She had promised Severus to finish off the lesson plans tonight... she looked out into the distance slowly seeing the sun set, her room becoming a vivid shade of red. She was excited to have some quiet time to herself as she eventually made her way up to the potions classroom. Upon entering she was surprised to see Severus brewing something. Carefully, she crept up to him trying to see exactly what he was doing.

"It would be nice if you learned to knock before entering my classroom." He muttered looking down at the cauldron.

"It would also be nice if you smiled once in a while..." She realized what she had said and painfully slowly placed her hand over her mouth and nose. Severus turned his head towards her responding with a prolonged eye-roll. She watched as he jotted something down in his journal before continuing to stir the potion. Her curiosity was absolutely demolishing her from the inside as she moved even closer to him, trying to catch a glimpse of what was inside.

"Draught Of Peace." He solemnly stated, annoyed at her curiosity. She nodded feeling content, and made her way over to the teacher's desk, pulling out her lesson plans in silence as she glanced at Severus. His brows were furrowed as he continued to stare at the potion motionlessly.

"There was a fight that broke out in the quad today..." She spoke softly as she pulled out her quill.

"Mhm." He hummed. Sofia was visibly anxious to tell someone about what she witnessed. So she waited, watching him as he continued to stare at the cauldron. He caught her strong gaze, before momentarily shutting his eyes. "I can feel from here that you are dying to tell me. Out with it." He gestured with his hand as he grabbed another ingredient. Sofia quickly told him all of the dirty details of what took place that afternoon. She rambled on for a little too long as he silently nodded. "What I have gathered so far... is that I seem to be quite the inflictor of fear among students..." He spoke slowly as his lips curved into a sinister smirk. Sofia kissed her teeth at the fact that the only thing he had gathered from her story, was that she used his name to scare off the students.

She tapped her quill on the table, "I just don't understand why they had to get so physical."

"From what I can remember, I too had to pry you off a student once." His deep voice and the vivid memory quickly send shivers up Sofia's forearms. Furrowing her eyebrows, she glanced at him.

"I'm surprised you remember that."

"Obviously," He put down some tweezers placing his palms on the desk, holding Sofia's gaze. "-I vividly remember how you aggressively pulled a chunk of some poor girl's hair in the Slytherin common room and tore the sleeve of her robe." Sofia quickly became embarrassed as she diverted his gaze awkwardly looking at the walls of the classroom. "What could have possibly made you so angry that you, yourself, felt the need to inflict physical pain?" He quirked an eyebrow waiting for her to answer. Sofia's expression quickly changed to hatred as she remembered that day. She waited for a second deciding whether or not to tell Severus.

"She called me a mudblood." Her words came out detached. She was long over the argument, although that term still seemed to make her blood boil. Sofia looked down at her parchment and begun writing, hoping that he would drop it. Severus patiently watched Sofia as he too felt a tinge of rage. Both reminiscing on Sofia's first-class when Tim had done the same thing.

"Well, then I have to admit it was somewhat justified." Was all he responded with before continuing to add minuscule amounts of unicorn horn powder to the cauldron. Sofia huffed a little and softly smiled to herself, appreciating that Severus felt her actions were _justified_ _._ Up until this day she didn't feel like her anger from that argument was valid. Making sure for Sofia not to notice, Severus checked her face to see if his response had satisfied her, feeling pleased as he noticed that small smile on her face. Both continued to work in silence on their respective tasks.

After an hour or so, Sofia only had a few lesson plans left, as she piled the papers on the side of the desk. Throughout the time she was working, she could see out of the corner of her eye Severus changing cauldrons every 15 minutes, becoming more and more frustrated with every attempt. She chose to ignore him as she was worried her interference would anger him more. But after another cauldron, Severus was now angrily tossing the instruments towards the sink. Out of the corner of her eye, she observed as he stepped back from the cauldron. Suddenly, the black liquid started slowly oozing out onto the floor. She looked over at Severus expecting him to already have his wand out... However, all she saw was his tall frame standing three steps behind the oozing liquid, frozen in his place. His left hand was pressed firmly to the side as his right covered his face, his slender fingers desperately pinching the bridge of his nose, eyes tightly shut. Severus was on the verge of what she could only describe as a mild breakdown. Pushing her chair back, she walked over to him as he seemed to be in some sort of trance. She softly placed her hand on his forearm nudging for him to stop aggressively pinching. Pulling down his arm she watched as he angrily looked towards the mess emitting a deep breath.

"I have to demonstrate an updated potion tomorrow and for whatever reason-" he cut himself off as he looked down at her, feeling suddenly aware of how close she had been standing. Her grey eyes looked up at him waiting for him to continue before she too felt suddenly aware that she still had her hand on his forearm. Quickly letting go, she walked over to the cauldron observing the still oozing liquid. 

"How about I clean this-" She spoke looking back, hoping it would somehow ease his frustration. Severus avoided eye contact with her, resting himself on one of the shelves with his right arm. "-you can read over the instructions, perhaps make some more alterations, and I'll keep you company whilst you brew it again." She didn't wait for him to respond as she pulled out her wand and waved it expecting everything to clear. To her disbelief, she still saw a few large pools of dark liquid and stains. She grunted walking over to the corner, grabbing a bucket.

"You don't have to do that-"

"It'll bother me if I don't." She huffed, scrubbing the chair and the desk. Quickly wiping the leftover liquid, she levitated the bucket back to the corner of the room. Severus grabbed his notes and somewhat frantically continued writing over the shelf, mumbling endless measurements and ingredients.

"Come here." She could feel in his voice that he was almost embarrassed to ask for her assistance. She walked over, reading through the instructions. Upon examining his re-calculations she silently nodded at him. Severus abruptly grabbed another cauldron and continued, as Sofia walked back to her desk feeling proud that she had managed to somewhat calm his nerves _at least a little bit_.

After a few more failed, but less messy attempts Severus was finally content. He realized that he was previously stirring in an inconsistent amount of powdered porcupine quills, as the number in the book was barely legible.

"It's done." He announced waiting for her to respond, after a few seconds of deafening silence he looked up to find Sofia's head down on the desk, her glasses in her left hand and her quill in her right. Severus walked over to her to make sure that she was asleep. He leaned over her and waited before he heard the faint sound of her soft breathing. Straightening his back, he watched her for a second. He didn't know whether to wake her up or just leave her. In hopes that she would wake up sooner or later, he decided to let her be. Carefully opening his office door he quietly pulled the blanket off his couch before softly covering her small body with it. Putting out the candles with a flick of his wrist he quietly exited the classroom.

* * *

Sometime later Sofia had abruptly woken up. She felt the warmth of a blanket on her as she sat up in her chair, softly rubbing her eyes. She squinted over at the clock which now said 15 past 3 am. Grunting, she got up from the chair putting away all of the parchment. As she folded the blanket she felt somewhat relieved, knowing that her and Severus' interactions were quickly becoming more civil. She chose to ignore the fact that they were not only becoming more civil but also more _tender_. Placing the blanket carefully on the chair she smiled to herself in disbelief; as she simply couldn't imagine that Severus had it in him to care for anyone other than himself, especially her.


	13. Hushed Tones

Albus wiped the sweat of his brow as he braced himself for another interrogation, walking over to a familiar cell. Squinting his eyes he navigated through the dark hallways of Azkaban as he heard the thunder raging outside.

"I don't see why you required for me to accompany you once more." Severus' voice echoed from down the hallway.

"I have already told you. You seem to be the only one who shakes some sense into the man."

"Simply because he muttered something about an object does not mean it makes sense Albus. He is insane." Severus muttered under his nose as he heard a loud painful shriek coming from above him.

"You said it yourself that you were tired of searching for _nothing_. Let's see if we can figure out what that _nothing_ is." Albus pursed his lips as they continued down the hallway. Eventually, they had made their way to a cell in the far end of the corridor. Severus looked around as dark slimy liquids pooled at the bottom of the brick walls. He pulled his cloak towards himself with a quick flick, hoping to salvage it from some of the dampness. Both of them finally saw the familiar face. The man had his arms attached to two chains, head unnaturally dangling down, hair ragged. As soon as the man felt their presence his head aggressively shot up.

"Severus!" he howled, as Severus clenched his jaw in return. To Severus, this man was just another Death Eater, however to Albus, he seemed of much more importance.

"Hello, William." Albus greeted him with somewhat of a small smile as he came closer to the bars waving for the wardens to bring him a chair. Placing himself comfortably on the chair he leaned in closer to the cell. "-How are you feeling?"

"Cold. Wet. Dark. Danger..." William howled the last word whilst liking his chapped lips, eyes staring back at Albus. Severus rolled his eyes at the man, as he firmly stood behind Albus. The man was deemed clinically insane by the Ministry of Magic during his trial, nonetheless, they proceeded to imprison him in Azkaban for all of the crimes that he had committed during the war.

"Tell me again William, what is this danger you keep talking about?"

"A dark, dark black over Hogwarts..." his eyes rolled back into his head. "-a watch. A watch. I need to watch." Neither Severus nor Albus knew what he was referring to.

"He is clearly deranged-" Snape interjected before the man threw himself at the bars, the chains roughly pulling him back with a sharp zing.

"Severus! Come closer, my _friend_." Albus looked back at Severus waiting for him to move, however, he stood still.

"Go on." Albus gestured. Hesitantly Severus made his way over to the man, as he pulled himself closer to the bars staring into his eyes, unnaturally tilting his head and observing Severus' features.

"An awful danger. Horrible fate. The professors, the students. All of them." William whispered, his face painfully close to the bars.

"Would you like to elaborate, William." William's demonic laugh abruptly filled the cell as both Albus and Severus cringed.

"My mind. My mind. My mind can't tell. The watch. The watch. Watch over yourselves. Watch over me." William's repetitiveness began to take a toll on Severus as he felt a wave of anger. Severus could hear the dull unsettling sound of William's teeth gritting against each other as he painfully moved his jaw.

"We _are_ watching you. Tell us more."

"No! No!" He suddenly yelled. "I've said too much! The Dark Lord will know." Severus sighed in defeat. "The watch. A watch on my wrist and my mind will be at peace." Realization suddenly washed over Severus.

"I need to be searching for a watch."

"Severus, you're not making sense." Albus sighed.

"A wristwatch. He hasn't been referring to us watching him, he has been referring to a wristwatch that he used to own, I'm assuming." Severus' brows furrowed.

"Of course! This whole time it was right in front of us. How could I have been so blind..." Albus abruptly got up from his chair and looked back at Severus who was watching the bizarre man attempt to rip his hands from the chains.

"Beware Severus. Beware. Beware." Although Severus would never admit it, William's voice sent shivers down his whole body as his pale eyes held Severus' gaze. The man slowly twisted his head smiling at him, showing his black rotting teeth. "Danger." Came another whisper. "Danger!" He yelled as Severus felt drops of his spit on his face. He reluctantly wiped his face straightening his back and following Albus down the hallways to the exit.

"Albus for all we know this man is simply insane. How do you know that he could possibly be referring to a legitimate danger?" He sneered. Albus simply paused in his way and looked up for a second.

"I thought by now you would have learned to trust me Severus. You should be happy that at least now you know what you're looking for."

"This is insanity Albus! I have been at it for 3 months. And I haven't found any object laced with magic that could possibly help us." He watched as Albus muttered something to himself.

". _.. a watch on my wrist and my mind will be at peace..._ " Severus huffed in annoyance upon hearing what Albus was whispering

"You can't possibly think that can mean anything. You've seen the man." Severus hissed.

"Ah. But that is where you're wrong Severus." Albus wiggles his index finger at him. "Sometimes the mind of the mad is clearer than the mind of the sane..." Albus smiled as he gestured for Severus to come closer before, they apparated close to the Hogwarts grounds. Both the men quickly walked to the headmaster's office making sure for no one to see them. Upon entering Severus proceeded to pace around Albus' office.

* * *

"If you could just let me use his wand, It would be much easier for me to track this object down."

"I have already told you a million times that his wand is laced with the darkest magic which Voldemort possessed. A simple touch could lead to grave consequences." Once the Ministry confiscated William's wand they had given it to Albus Dumbledore to keep safe at Hogwarts. As they had assumed that would be safest.

"This is infuriating." Severus marched from one corner to the other. "First. You tell me you genuinely believe that there is some threat, now for months on end, you have been asking me to search for this object. Now a wristwatch. Has it ever occurred to you that this man is simply playing games!" Severus growled.

"There is no need for such a tone Severus. I remember you telling me you have an important class to teach tomorrow." Albus' tone quickly became serious as he glared as Severus. Sighing, Severus angrily stormed out. He made his way down the castle's staircase forcefully pushing the door of his classroom open. Right now, all that he wished for was some sleep. He saw all the parchment in a mess on his desk which he was still yet to mark. He gritted his teeth as he made his way over to the desk. He began correcting the exams before he squinted his eyes, noticing as the letters became smudged as if gliding down the page. He shook his head in an attempt to wake himself up. His body was begging for some rest, from Albus sending him on missions to look for this object, which now they know is a wristwatch, to apparating to and back from Azkaban his head was pounding, as he felt a migraine beginning to brew. He put his quill down, resting his head between his hands. He tried to continue to mark the exams when suddenly his left hand knocked over the inkpot. Cursing, he rummaged through his drawer looking for something to clean up the desk and parchment. A faint sound of footsteps begun to approached his hallway, raising his head he watched as Sofia softly pushed the door open.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't hear anything, so I assumed you weren't in."

"You assumed wrong Greene." He barked.

"I see you're back to treating me as one of your students..."Sofia smirked snidely clearly oblivious to his current state.

"I do not have time for this pointless conversation. Get whatever you came for and be on your way. " His voice wasn't angry as much as it was desperate. Sofia suddenly realized that something must have obviously been wrong. Her expression became soft as she calmly walked over to the brooding man.

"Is there something I can do?" She showed him a soft smile as he looked at her for a second. To his surprise, meeting her grey eyes made his whole body relax. He stretched his neck rolling his head from side to side before passing her some exams.

"If you have the time, I would appreciate it if you could mark these." Sofia gladly picked up the exams and silently begun making her way over to the student desks. "No need. I was just about to brew something." Sofia nodded as she walked around Severus and took his place. She tried to dip his quill into the inkpot before she noticed that it was empty.

"Where do you keep your ink?"

"Top right drawer." He hummed without looking up at her.

Sofia reached for the drawer pulling it open. Suddenly she froze, as her whole body tensed. She slowly reached into the drawer, the hairs on her arms standing up. She picked up the shiny emerald stone which was shaped like a snakes head. She knew very well what that object was; a token of trust which every single Death Eater owned representing the Dark Lord's undying cause.

"What the hell is this...?" She whispered in disbelief. Severus' head instantly jerked towards Sofia. He noticed the shiny object in her hand, but before he could speak she continued. "This? This is why you got so angry when you thought I looked through your drawers?" Her voice was quickly rising as Severus kept his cold expression.

"Sofia, this is none of your bus-"

"This is disgusting." Her face quickly twisted into a form of rage and disappointment. "Why would you still keep this? I thought all of these were taken by the ministry of magic?" Her mouth was slightly open waiting for Severus to respond, as he stayed silent. "Well?"

"Like I said, this is none of your business. Put. it. back."

"No!" She exclaimed. "I knew you were hiding something. I just didn't remotely think it was this." She hissed. Her words caused Severus to wince. He wanted to say something, anything, to explain himself. He knew why Sofia was so familiar with this object. His head was pounding as he failed to gather his thoughts. "This is ridiculous. All this time I truly believed you had a somewhat-pure heart, no matter what anyone else ever said... Especially after the war. But this? This is just sick." Sofia finished as she threw the stone at his feet. As he heard the stone hit the ground, Severus suddenly became enraged. He felt his body heat up like fire in mere seconds. Sofia continued rambling and yelling something as Severus focused on keeping himself calm. With his migraine becoming unbearable, he failed to focus on everything she was saying. He knew that having an outburst right now would not only destroy the decent relationship they had possibly build as colleagues but it could also reveal more to Sofia than she should know. He was careful to think of what he would say as he knew deep inside that Sofia was important to him. Sofia's yelling continued to pierce Severus' ears before he heard her voice became frail as she seemed to tire out. "You know...My father was a Death Eater. It's no secret." She said firmly, staring at his black eyes. He held her gaze as his fists firmly clenched. "I always thought you two had one thing in common. Both of you forced against your own will to comply with Voldemort's every need. But now..." She laughed sarcastically, shaking her head. "I can see where your true intentions lie. My father died fighting for that horrible man. Forced to fight for a cause which he didn't believe in. Whilst you stand here and-" Those words drove Severus over the edge. The pounding in his head became stronger and stronger as he finally burst.

"Your father is a pathetic liar!" He yelled at her. Severus never raised his voice, which made Sofia step back in fear. Silence filled the room. After the initial shock wore off, her face once more contorted into absolute rage.

"How dare you speak of him like that!"

"If you even for a second believe any of what you have just said, you are naive Sofia. _Naive_ , horrendously guidable and utterly stupid." His words cut through her like knives. She felt hot tears begin to well up in her eyes but somehow the anger had overtaken her body completely, pushing the sadness deeper inside her.

"You are a treacherous man, Severus. A treacherous arse and nothing more. You knew nothing about my father!" She slammed her hand on the desk. Her chest was heaving as she released deep breaths of irritation.

"I know more than you **think**." He barked at her. Realizing what he had done his eyes went wide as his expression changed into fear. Noticing the quick change in his demeanour, Sofia was now utterly confused. She had quickly gathered that Severus knew something that she clearly didn't. Swiftly walking past him she was determined to make it to Albus' office. If anyone knew something that most were unaware of, it would be him.


	14. A Look into the Past

It took a moment for Severus to realize what Sofia was doing. Dropping everything he quickly followed her out the door.

"Sofia!" His harsh voice followed her. She ignored him marching up to the Gryffin statue. "Sofia." He hissed again trying to grasp at her arm, she jerked her arm away from him, as she approached the statue. Whispering the password to the Gryffin she walked up the staircase.

"Albus, a word?" Albus looked shocked at Sofia's abrupt entry before gesturing for her to sit across from him. Severus was right behind her as he similarly barged into the room. Quickly pulling himself together he stood a few feet behind Sofia. "Leave." Sofia firmly spoke referring to Severus. Severus made eye contact with Dumbledore reluctantly shaking his head. "Albus, please ask him to leave." Albus quirked his eyebrows and took in a deep breath. 

"Let's take a deep breath everyone. What happened, my dear?" He warmly smiled at her.

"I found the emerald in his drawer." 

"And you thought the worst I presume?" He mused.

"What do you mean? What other reason would he have to still keep it?" She was fuming, focusing on keeping her voice down as to not disrespect the headmaster.

"I assume there's another reason why you came here?" Albus diverted her question.

"Yes, Albus," She paused. Severus was standing motionlessly behind her looking somewhat guilty. "-he claims to know things which I don't in regards to my father." She continued.

"Well, that doesn't sound too surprising considering he was also a Death Eater once." Albus began to attempt to manipulate the conversation into his direction of choosing. "-I doubt you know everything that your father was involved in-"

"No." Sofia firmly cut him off. "There's something else Albus, I feel it."

"Sofie.." He was about to give her another excuse before he saw Severus shake his head angrily at him.

"Tell her Albus." Severus muttered. Sofia quickly glanced at Severus before turning back. Her eyes visibly pleading for an explanation. Reluctantly, Albus took Sofia's hand in his.

"Sofie. Tell me, what do you know about your father?" Sofia paused for a second, her breathing slowing down, she looked around the room her brain slowly gathering all the scarce memories she had of her father.

"My mother told me very little but he did visit me..." She began. "He told me about the Wizarding World and you. The last time I saw him he said he had to remove me from his memory because he had been forced into joining Voldemort's army. He said it was due to his remarkable talents as a wizard, and of course, because he was of pure blood." She breathed. "He was always kind to me. But that was the last time I saw him. My mother told me he died shortly after the war, which was confirmed by the Daily Prophet I believe." She finished as Albus kept his eyes on her.

"My darling. Not all of those things are true." Albus began. She looked up at him panicked, her breathing quickening again. "Your father was an extremely talented wizard. Many used to compare him to me." He smiled at the recollection. "But...unlike what he told you, he was never forced into joining Voldemort." Sofia's face paled. "He strongly believed in Voldemorts agenda. Some were even convinced he was his ultimate heir if anything were to happen to Voldemort...rumours of course." Sofia pulled her hand away from Albus. Her hands began to shake as her whole body felt suddenly cold.

"You're lying." She whispered looking down at her hands.

"I wish I was." Albus continued. "Severus can confirm it." Sofia slowly turned her head to Severus, who had both his arms firmly crossed over his chest.

"So?" She pleaded. Severus shook his head once more.

"I don't think you want to hear more Sofia-"

"Tell me." Sofia tried to sound stern, however, her voice betrayed her as it broke. Her mouth gaped slightly open, the whites of her eyes becoming red as the small veins shone through.

"He obliterated you from his memory that is correct. The reason for that being that he was embarrassed about having a child with a muggle. He was concerned that Voldemort would perform _Legilimency_ on him and diminish him in a second for finding out about you as he wanted to be his perfect disciple. He was obsessed, Sofia." Severus' voice was calm, it was hard to see once strong and outspoken Sofia look so small and frail. He felt his body as if being pulled towards her. He wanted to hold her, embrace her, touch her arm, anything. She looked completely broken to him. Sofia's head softly dropped. She forgot how to breathe for a moment. She looked down at her hands which were now shaking almost uncontrollably. She felt her whole body begin to shiver a little. Severus shot Albus another look, raising his eyebrows. Albus knew that it was time to tell Sofia the most important detail of the story.

"Your father, Sofie..." He paused. She looked up at him crossing her arms over her chest as her right hand harshly griped at her arm, painfully gnawing at her own skin. "William Greene is alive. Currently held in Azkaban." With that, Sofia felt like she was about to faint. Her whole body was nauseated. She slumped in her chair hoping that Albus was finished. To her disbelief she watched him open his mouth once more. "He was deemed clinically insane after the war." Sofia's head was spinning. She could no longer sit between the two men. She shakily pushed back her chair her hands no longer responding to her. She avoided Severus eyes as she walked out of the office. Both of the men stayed quiet for a second before Severus stormed towards Albus' placing both of his hands on the desk.

"Albus?" Severus hissed in disbelief.

"You truly believe she could handle everything right now?"Albus was becoming angry. Severus' impatience was beginning to consistently irritate him. He could see that he cared for the girl but he also understood that this could completely destroy the secrecy of what they were doing.

"She will have questions... More questions. None of this explains why I have a Death Eater emerald in my drawer." Severus said.

"You are correct, she will. And when the right time comes you will tell her."

"Me?" Severus almost laughed in disbelief. "What makes you think she wants to hear anything from me?"

"Don't think me daft Severus. I know you two have developed a certain _connection_." He smiled. "I'd rather it come from someone who can comfort her. And I don't think Minerva is an option right now."

"When do you presume I should tell her then?"

"Whenever you feel is right. Just make sure to pace yourself." Severus growled under his nose. The last thing he wanted to do was continue to drive Sofia back to her current state of mind. Neither of the men had anything else to say to each other. 

Meanwhile, Sofia was staggering down the castle hallways. She couldn't focus on whatever was in front of her. Her body was weak as she tried to walk towards the staircase. Finally, her legs gave in as she sat down on the cold floor by the railing. She placed her face into her shaking hands. She wanted with all her might to make it back to her quarters, she truly did, but she couldn't. Years of build up trust and confidence in a man she already knew very little about had vanished in front of her eyes. She never knew her father well, no, she was never delusional enough to believe that she had a close relationship with him. But the image of him, at least of what he showed her, she manifested inside her mind. That image always pushed her to be better herself. For years being under the impression that he was tortured and forced into something, he didn't believe... that understanding had now faded. She tried hard to remember her father's eyes and features but instead, her mind was now clouded with the horrible images of him happily killing, torturing and simply being by Voldemort's side. Sofia's mind was once more racing as she was suddenly hit with the realization that he was still breathing.

Alive.

In Azkaban.

Her breathing began to aggressively quicken. She tried to calm herself. Looking down at the ground she was holding her face up with her hands. Her fingers aggressively pressing into her forehead, elbows resting on her knees which were pulled up to her chest. Nothing made sense to her. Suddenly she heard faint footsteps echo down the hallway. She was surprised to see Severus who seemed to stop in his tracks as he noticed her on the floor. Hesitantly he walked up to her, bending down by her side. Before he could say anything she tightly shut her eyes and lifted her palm up waving it, gesturing for him to leave her. Severus was taken back by her action however he chose to believe that Sofia knew what was best for her at that moment. He stood up and continued walking down the hallway, leaving her. As he turned the corner he heard Sofia's soft wailing. Sofia was finally crying into her arms overcome by emotions. He felt the pit of his stomach drop as he leaned back on the wall sighing. He stopped himself from turning around as he knew it would inevitably force him to walk right back up to her. 

After he made his way back to his office, Sofia continued to cry for a while longer. Should she wake up Remus? Hagrid? Or Minerva? Could that help? Would their empty words of advice and consoling truly make her feel better? Minerva would force her to drink endless cups of tea, Hagrid would probably cry with her and Remus would make a sad attempt at a joke in order to make her smile. Weighing her options, she chose to simply go to bed. Hoping that tomorrow would be a little clearer for her.

* * *

Sofia woke up in her room, sun shining painfully into her eyes still in the clothes from last night. She had stumbled into her bed in the night, too weak to change into anything. She looked at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, skin pale and her hair was a mess. She slowly changed into another set of dark robes. Sofia knew that she had the full power to not show up to assist Severus at his core class this morning. But as it was the last week of class before Christmas Break, she knew she had to go. She was always a firm believer of the fact that no matter what takes place in your personal life, the world carries on and so does your job. After leaving her hair down she placed her glasses on her face. The students rarely saw her with glasses, as she only used them for reading or writing. But today, for some reason she thought that the glasses would distract them from her swollen red eyes. Skipping breakfast she made her way straight to the potions classroom. To her luck, Severus was not yet there. She enjoyed the few moments on her own as she prepared the cauldrons for the students. When Severus entered the room he paused in his step. Sofia slowly continued to prepare for the class. The room felt cold. Colder than usual. He watched her for a second longer before calmly making his way over. He pondered on how he should handle the situation, he wasn't sure if she was still angry although that quickly became clear to him as she proceeded to forcefully ignore his presence. He knew that even if his words from last night were true they had obviously hurt her. Especially as he remembered that he wasn't particularly careful with what he had said. Severus was at loss for what he could do.

"You don't have to be here." He whispered. She glared at him, ignoring his comment as she continued her setup. When the students filled the classroom Sofia plastered on a fake smile, chatting with some students. Any other day Severus would be livid that she was delaying the start of his class, but this time, he calmly asked them all to open their books as Sofia took her place by his side, although this time a little further away. Sofia's body was present, but her mind was visibly somewhere else. She assisted Severus throughout the class, eyes pale, completely emotionless. A few students seem to have noticed that Sofia was somewhere else. However, none of them were brave enough to ask especially in the presence of Professor Snape. Severus made sure to be somewhat soft with her every time he asked for something. His attempt at being nicer clearly seemed to irritate her. He knew that she was probably judging him for treating her like some fragile porcelain doll. Severus taught the rest of the class tense, as his mind kept drifting away, thinking of anything he could do to ease her pain.

But alas, there was nothing.


	15. Expect the Unexpected

Sofia was cuddled up on Remus's couch, calmly watching his hand glide over some parchment. He was working on something over his desk as she sipped her tea.

"What are you doing?" Remus chuckled at her question, before lifting his head.

"To be completely honest, I'm waiting for you to tell me what's wrong."

"Why do you always assume something's wrong?"

"Well..." He put his quill down and folded his hands together. "-you walked in here, on a Monday morning. Sat down on my couch. Made yourself some tea, and haven't said a word. Usually, I can't shut you up." Sofia avoided his gaze, guilty. She came to Remus with the intention of speaking but she just couldn't find the right words.

"I don't know where to start Remus..." She spoke with a sigh.

"Why don't you start from the beginning?"

"You're gonna be here a while." She smiled.

"It's Christmas Break! I'm almost done grading, and as you know tomorrow I'm going home to see Tonks. So now is all you've got unless you want to be writing insanely long letters." Sofia nodded knowing that he was right. She had to get it out one way or another, knowing that she was never great at bottling out her feelings.

"Alright, but you have to listen to everything and not interrupt okay?" She pointed a finger at him, sitting up in her comfortable position.

"I'll try my best." He warmly smiled before leaning back in his chair. Sofia began from the start. She told him about her mother some of which he already knew, how her mother was always hesitant to discuss Sofia's father but spoke somewhat highly of him. She told him about her father being alive and his admiration for Voldemort. She continued to tell him about the tiff with Severus and Albus, and even the argument she had with Severus. After she had finished Remus looked speechless.

"Do you want to visit him?" Was all he managed to say.

"I think I do...I haven't really thought about it." She felt a wave of anxiety wash over her, as she held a tight grasp on her teacup. "I don't want to feel like this."

Remus leaned on his desk, closely observing her, "Like what?"

"I feel angry. But also a little sad. I mean I've obviously been lied to for a great part of my life." She huffed.

"What about all the things that Severus said to you?"

"He's a bastard."

"That's a bit harsh,don't you think?" Remus tried to interject as Sofia scoffed attempting say something, but before she could say anything else he decided that the smartest thing to do would be not to let her shove in another word. "-I won't defend the way he spoke to you, Sof. But you have to agree that it must have been difficult for him to listen to you talk about your father _that_ way after he watched him do...unspeakable things..."Remus trailed off.

"That doesn't excuse his behaviour. And I still have thousands of unanswered questions."

"Then maybe you should speak to him-"

"Not a chance." She shook her head.

As Remus' mouth hung open mid-sentence he laughed a little before shaking his head at her, "Ah of course. The familiar Greene stubbornness." He pondered.

"No. I couldn't care less about what he has to say. " She shook her head again looking into the distance.

"Well if you don't care then I guess you don't have to talk to him." She paused at his words, resting her head in her palm. Looking into Remus' eyes she knew that even if she tried to lie to him, he would figure her out in a second. She watched as his mouth curved into a smirk. "Oh, so you do care! You have to speak to him." he tried to push a little, noticing that she was visibly trying to ignore his advice he leaned back again looking around his office. "You know...it's what mature adults often do, when they encounter an issue they talk about it instead of - well - whatever this is that you're doing." He joked. Sofia squinted at Remus with an annoyed look. She was mostly annoyed at herself for being so stubborn. She spent the whole week since the argument ignoring Severus, blindly assisting his classes, and avoiding him at all costs. She almost started to feel a little bad. Especially since he had been so nice to her the entire week. Although his attempted fake pleasantries annoyed her, deep inside she knew it was coming from a good place.

"Fine. I'll consider it. But I'm still angry."

"No one said you shouldn't be." He picked up his quill again feeling happy that he had swayed her a little. They sat in silence for a few minutes, before Sofia started tapping her teeth with her nail.

"I'm scared, Remus."

"Come on. He's not that bad. He-"

"Not that!" She waved her hand. "I'm scared because when I first learned all of this I was so angry and sad. And now I just feel...bland? It doesn't feel right." She failed to find better words.

"Maybe it's because you've waited a week to talk to someone about it." Sofia rolled her eyes. "Or maybe to you it still feels unresolved. I don't want to come off ignorant Sof, but what did the man ever truly do for you?" Sofia knew she should have gotten angry at him for mentioning that but somehow she didn't. She simply watched the wall, scanning the books across the shelves. "He visited you once or twice a year. Never helped you get to Hogwarts, told you vague stories about the Wizarding World, basically abandoned you. I understand anger, but I don't think you should feel guilty. For what its worth, I don't think you should be sad at all. Especially for that man." Remus was trying to be careful with what he was saying as if not to upset Sofia more. But in reality, he had read her mind. To this day Sofia was still angry, mostly as Severus. But after that night, she felt constant guilt for not feeling sadder. She searched for that feeling inside of her but she simply couldn't find it. A part of her always knew that her father's attempts at being in her life always seemed rotten or forced, and now when his true character was finally revealed, her mind finally put the two and two together. "I hope I didn't step out of line."

"No Remus. If anything you've said just the right things." She gave him a small smile of reassurance before resting her teacup on the table. "Thank you. Truly."

"Come on Sof. I thought we were past that." He got up from his desk to hug her as she straightened herself getting up from his couch.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?"

"Early. Very early." He laughed, raising his eyebrows at her.

"I guess I'll say bye now, then." She hugged him tighter.

"I know you say no every year, but would you like to spend Christmas with me and Tonks?"

"As always. you are too kind Remus. But I'd rather spend it here. You know Christmas was never a joyful day for me."

"Alright. But make sure to write me!" He smiled at her.

"I will. Take care, Remus. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas Sof." With that and a soft wave, Sofia left. As she walked across the ground, she felt a weight lift off her chest. Feeling more like herself again she started thinking about her Christmas Break. How it would consist of marking the potion N.E.W.T's, possibly visiting her father, and perhaps some light drinking with some of the Professors. Although the thought of visiting Azkaban seemed to stress her out, she was still somewhat excited for Christmas. Even though she loved teaching she always enjoyed having some quality time to herself. Before heading up to her quarters she stopped by the potions classroom to pick up some exams. She didn't know if she was ready to have a conversation with Severus, so she chose to mark them in her room.

* * *

Severus was uncomfortably sitting at his office table. He proceeded to fill up his days with working on the potions curriculum and marking exams. He managed to focus quite well throughout the week but something about the school being strangely quiet forced his mind to drift back to Sofia. He felt guilty about how he had spoken to her. Throughout the week he had made multiple attempts to speak to her again. He tried to ask her for assistance after class which she never declined, but always worked somewhere else, no longer quietly keeping him company in his class. He tried to muster up some courage to apologize but his pride was always holding him back. Soon enough he had realized that he was being an utter coward. That realization still however got him nowhere close to speaking with Sofia. The immense guilt was continuously eating him up alive. What was worse was that he finally admitted to himself that he missed having her around. He missed their sarcastic conversations, her laugh, how she interacted with the students, even how she teased him about being the most disliked professor. After he realized he had re-read the same sentence 4 times he knew it was time for a distraction. Hoping to clear his head, he decided to take a walk around the grounds, hoping that eventually, he would stop thinking about their argument. After a while, the sun began to set over Hogwarts. Severus knew that if he wouldn't return to his office in time he would fall behind his marking schedule. Upon entering his office he found a bottle of wine on his desk with a small note attached by a string to the cap. Examining the note he couldn't help but feel his eyes roll back into his head with frustration.

_For your troubles. I sincerely hope you chose to split this with someone worthy of your company._

_Albus._

_Absolutely nothing makes it by without him noticing it_ he thought. He was well aware of what Albus was referring to. Albus must have noticed how distant Sofia was being during the week. Without a second thought but no plan in mind Severus quickly left his office.

* * *

Sofia was done working for the night. She climbed onto her couch with her book, as usual. After a few minutes of trying to read she realized that her eyes kept wandering off towards the windows. Sitting there in silence for a while, she simply enjoyed watching the sky, thinking over her previous conversation with Remus. Suddenly she heard a quiet knock at her door.

"Come in." As she heard her door open she looked back. To her surprise, she found Severus awkwardly standing in her doorway, avoiding her eyes. After realizing it was him she abruptly turned her head back to the windows. "-if you're here about the N.E.W.T. exams, I have already started marking them." 

"I am not here for that." He responded, his voice softer than usual. Sofia refrained herself from engaging in a conversation even though she could feel that, that was truly what she desired. "Albus gave me wine. I was wondering if you wanted to join me in my office." He continued.

"What makes you think I would do that?" She finally turned to face his dark eyes.

"I insist, Sofia."

"Oh, lovely. You _insist_ _,_ therefore I must go." She waved her hand mocking him, visibly irritated. Not only was the man incapable of apologizing but now he was demanding for her to drink with him. She proceeded to firmly stare at him, as he pursed his lips, analyzing her face. After a few seconds of silence, she turned her head back to the window, opening her book. "If there is nothing else work-related, I have to ask you to leave Sev-"

"I am sorry." He almost whispered. She raised her eyes from her book looking out into night sky. Sofia was utterly surprised, to say the least, but she kept her ground. "I am sorry I spoke to you that way. I am sorry for being somewhat insensitive. And I am sorry for hurting you." He breathed. Her eyes went wide as she felt her breathing deepen. Although she wasn't looking at him she could feel his eyes burning into the back of her head. She suddenly felt her anger start to fade. She heard his soft footsteps approach her. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the wine bottle which he gripped with his hands. _Wine wouldn't be the worst right now_ _,_ she thought. Huffing she got up. Facing him. His stern eyes were looking into her soft grey ones, pleading. Sofia softly nodded as she followed him through the elf door into his office.

To Sofia's surprise, his office was warm and welcoming. She could see the fire raging from the fireplace. In silence, he conjured two wine glasses and gestured for her to sit on one of the armchairs. Before sitting across from her, he poured her some wine as she avoided his gaze. Sofia observed him out of the corner of her eye as he served the wine into his glass as well. Looking around the room she could see endless rows of books and vials containing powders, potions and even some strange limbs? She squinted her eyes at one of the vials trying to figure out what was inside as Severus watched her closely. The room was filled with tension as he sipped his wine.

"How are you feeling?" His rich voice filled the small room.

She continued to stare at the vial before deciding to reply. "I don't really think you care, Severus." She knew her words were harsh but she simply didn't know how to handle the situation.

"I do Sofia, if that wasn't clear enough already-" He clenched his jaw. "-I would really appreciate it if you stopped belittling me now." Looking at him she could see he was trying, suddenly feeling the realization of how truly harsh her words must have sounded. She leaned back into the leather armchair as she took a sip of her wine.

"I don't know. How would you feel if you found out one of your dead parents was not only alive but also an _arsehole_." Severus listened to the words which fell from her mouth. He was mesmerized but the features of her face which were lit up by the dancing flames fro the fireplace.

"Well, at least one of your parents is alive." He muttered practically to himself. Severus couldn't stop the words. His eyes went wide. He watched Sofia's confused expression slowly turn into a half-smile. Suddenly she laughed. A loud and piercing laugh. It was the first time Sofia had laughed so loudly since that night. She looked back at Severus who also seemed to now smirk. And with that, the tension had suddenly faded.

"I guess you're right." She smiled a little at him, which instantly relaxed Severus.

Her and Severus continued to chat about her father. The conversation sometimes took a turn for the worst when Sofia would pry Severus to tell her stories from when he was a Death Eater. An hour or so had passed as Sofia and Severus continued to talk. The room was often filled with her sharp laugher and sometimes his deep chuckle.

"You never told me about the emerald."

"I promise I'll tell you. Just not right now." Something in his tone made Sofia trust him. Suddenly all common sense left her body.

"Would you come with me to Azkaban?" She quietly asked him, avoiding his gaze once more. "-to see _him_." Severus was taken back at her request. He paused before he noticed her beginning to look uneasy.

"Of course." He nodded, as she smiled back nervously. She decided to no longer pry on the topic and tried to shift the conversation.

Soon enough they were reminiscing on her time during school.

"I was not stuck up!" Her mouth gaped. " I just knew I was always better than most at potions...I can't believe you thought I was stuck up..."

"That is the exact definition of stuck up, Sofia. Besides, there were plenty of capable students in my classes."

"Oh! I'm sure! From what I can remember everyone was utterly terrified of you. Frightened of making any little mistake. I was the only one who could stand up to you." She proudly stated.

"And that is what drove me insane." He laughed. "Don't lie to yourself. You were terrified of making mistakes just like the rest." He mused

"Did not." She looked away from him holding back a wide smile.

"Yes. Even just a few months back. I waltzed with you for mere minutes and you spent the whole time nervously counting your steps." Sofia's head softly turned to him, as she playfully squinted her eyes. She was happy that he still remembered them dancing that night. Severus quickly looked down at his glass realizing what Sofia must be feeling. He felt his heart race as did she. Her cheeks were warm from the room, after a few seconds Sofia decided to break the silence.

"I have to admit you were better than the students I danced with."

"Well, I would hope so." He quirked an eyebrow at her complement. Severus looked at the bottle of wine, as Sofia continued to watch him. She was suddenly aware of how attractive he was to her at that moment. Walls down, drinking, laughing. Severus could feel Sofia watching him, he suddenly felt a familiar need. The need to be closer to her. "How is your scar heeling?"

"It's nasty. But its completely pale now." She rolled up her sleeve proudly showing him.

"Let me see." He abruptly stood up making his way to her. He took her arm and looked at the scar, softly dragging his slender finger across her arm. Sofia watched as he carefully examined her arm. The feeling of him touching her skin made the pit of her stomach twist as she felt warmth all over her body. Severus was suddenly aware that he must have held her arm for a little too long. He lifted his black eyes looking into hers. They stared at each other for a second, when a sudden feeling of _want_ overtook him. Placing his hands on either side of her face he leaned down. Gently leaning in, he pressed his lips on hers. Sofia was taken back for a moment. Her eyes quickly closed as she felt the warmth of his lips on hers. For a second their lips became one. Both of them sinking into the pleasurable feeling, passion coursing through their veins. A second before she was about to place her hands on him she felt him pull back. "We can't." He whispered.

"What?" she gasped a little for air as she moved her arm down.

"We can't." His hoarsely responded. Taking his hands of Sofia's face he took a step back. Sofia suddenly felt immensely stupid. Stupid for coming down to drink, stupid for mistaking her feelings and gravely stupid for mistaking his intentions. She quickly got up from the chair and rushed out of the room. Severus was left standing alone. He realized that what he had done must have confused Sofia even more. He knew that it would be wrong to take advantage of her at that state. The girl was sad and most likely drunk. The last thing he needed was to force himself on her when her world was collapsing around her. He pinched the bridge of his nose, remembering how she didn't seem to flinch at the kiss. How he felt her lips moving with his in slow motion. _Must have been the wine_ he thought. To reassure himself, he picked up the bottle examining it, but to his surprise, the bottle was barely touched.


	16. Distant Minds of One

Sofia couldn't believe herself. Barging into her room and shutting the door behind her, she kicked her bed grunting. Always a little hot-headed. How could she be so stupid? Why did he kiss her? Why did he just leave her there for a fool? Her mind was laced with endless questions. She decided to calm down for a second and try to collect herself. Getting up from the bed and placing both of her hands on her hips she stood there. In silence.

"Did I want that to happen?" she whispered. No. she thought. He is crude, ignorant and selfish. Why would she want to partake in any of that? _But if I didn't want this then why am I so distressed, why does it hurt?'_ She continued. One thing was certain: she did not know what she wanted. She realized that she was once more angry at Severus. Going in circles she tried to fall asleep, after multiple failed attempts, she sat up at her desk and continued to grade the exams until she saw the sun slowly creeping up.

Severus was still in his office. He stood in the middle of the room holding the heavy bottle of wine. Placing it back on the desk he conjured up a cork to close it. Slouching in his chair he decided to finish his almost empty glass of wine. Similarly to Sofia, his mind was an absolute mess. Picking up the note from his desk he examined it once more, twisting and turning it between his fingers. _Albus_. He thought. He had realized that it's been over a week since he had last searched for the mysterious object. And he has yet to go on another search, starting from the beginning with all the odd locations he had previously visited. Only now specifically searching for a wristwatch. He exhaled a deep low breath. _Sofia_. His mind interrupted. Severus twisted the ring on his index finger, staring into the fireplace. How could he get involved with her if Hogwarts was at stake? Is there even a legitimate threat? Severus was still very sceptical of this William Greene issue. _Greene_. His mind reminded him again as he realized that it was impossible for him to think straight. Whenever he tried to be rational in order to asses his options he would see Sofia's face. After a few more minutes of pointless pondering, he couldn't stop himself as he thought back to their kiss. Her lips on his, the soft skin of her face, her pale eyes. Severus soon realized that there was simply no point in continuing to go in circles. No matter how much it pained him to admit, he had to talk to someone.

"Hello, Severus." Albus' warm voice welcomed him.

"Albus." 

"What brings you here at such a late hour? I assume you enjoyed the wine?" He smiled.

'You could say so." Severus reluctantly replied. "I need to talk to you about William Greene."

"Oh, that is a much less pleasant conversation than I had expected." Albus chuckled.

"Are you still visiting Azkaban?"

"Yes. I'm hoping I can gather more information regarding the threat,"Albus placed his palms together. "You have to continue to search for the watch Severus, you do realize that?"

"How will the watch help us, Albus?" Severus was quickly getting increasingly frustrated with Albus continuously giving him orders without a clear end goal.

"I have my assumptions. But I believe it is too early to discuss them." _Always speaking in riddles_. Severus thought.

"You want for me to blindly continue searching for it?" His deep voice rasped.

"That is correct, yes, although I don't think I would use the world _blindly_ any longer. You know that it is a wristwatch. And you have the most important thing at your disposal now, don't you?" Severus looked at him confused. "Sofia, of course."

"Are you telling me you sent the wine in order for me to get closer to her for _this_ particular reason?"

"That among other things, yes..." He shot him a smirk. "You never know, maybe she remembers something about her father which could help us. Or simply what the watch looked like, every little detail would help, Severus."

"This is absurd."

"It might be. However, it is our only option." Albus sighed. Severus was quiet for a moment before he began pacing around the office.

"Albus?"

"Yes?" 

"Nothing goes by you unnoticed, correct?" Severus looked down at his hand twisting the ring once more.

Albus furrowed his eyebrows for a second, "Perhaps. Where are you going with this?"

"If I were to-" He paused unsure of where he was going with his thoughts. "-get closer to Sofia-" He momentarily hesitated, intently watching Albus from afar. "-for other reasons but the William Greene threat, could that in any way interfere with the issue we are currently dealing with?" Severus stood firmly as Albus' lips curved into a warm smile.

"Severus. That is completely up to you to decide. But I do believe you have waited long enough to feel happy again. Don't you?" Severus chose to ignore his question. "Why? Did something happen?"

"No." He lied.

"As you wish." Albus gestured.

* * *

Sofia had woken up on her couch with thousands of exam papers surrounding her. She quickly got up to check if she had crinkled any, to her luck she hadn't. She neatly stacked them on her desk and hopped into the shower. Her days became increasingly boring without the students around. It was harder for her to take her mind of the important things when all she did was sit around her room and mark papers. She thought of going for a run around the grounds and stopping by Hagrid's. She noticed that the snowfall had ceased outside. Putting on her sports leggings, a few more layers and of course a warm sweater, some gloves and a hat, she made her way outside. The castle was unnervingly quiet. To her luck, she had managed to walk out without bumping into anyone else who was still on the grounds, as she was in no mood for small talk. On her run, Sofia had suddenly realized how much she had been taking her workplace for granted. Hogwarts looked breathtaking. The beautiful lake that outstretched for miles was completely frozen over, endless fields of green were covered by a thick layer of snow, and of course the magnificent castle itself. Hogwarts looked like a winter wonderland to her. She smiled, feeling lighter on her feet. After a few laps, she finally made her way over to Hagrid's hut. She knocked, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to another.

"Hi, Sofie. What brings ya here?" He smiled at her as he continued to stack his plates above the sink.

"Severus kissed me." She blurted.

"He what now?" Hagrid dropped a plate which quickly smashed all over the floor, some of the shards quickly reached the doorway landing at Sofia's feet. He stared at Sofia for a long second as she blankly stared back.

"Well, now that we have that out of the way, could I come in for some tea? It's quite chilly out." She spoke nonchalantly.

"Sofie-"

"Let me help you." She cut him off, removing her gloves and hat as she proceeded to clean the shattered pieces off the floor. Hagrid quietly slumped in his chair, in utter disbelief, as Sofia continued to collect the larger shards in her palm.

"Don't ya have yer wand on ya?" He quietly said.

"You're right. Habits." She took out her wand and with a quick flick, all the shards were gone. She poured herself and Hagrid some tea, placing the cup in his hands, sitting down adjacent to him. Both of them held onto the mugs staring into empty space. "How is your day going?" Sofia softly said without turning her head towards him.

"Did he really kiss ya? Just like that?" He finally looked at her.

"Yes."

"And?"

"And nothing, Hagrid. I walked out."

"Did he force himself on ya or somethin'?" Hagrid suddenly became extremely concerned.

"Merlin, no!" Sofia scoffed. "You know very well that I would never let that happen..." She trailed off.

"So what happened then?" Sofia silently huffed at him. She began to tell him the details of last night and everything that happened before that. After she was done she yawned, the lack of sleep clearly getting to her. "From where I'm standin' it doesn't seem so bad Sofie." He spoke.

"It doesn't matter Hagrid-"

"What do ya mean? Course' it does!" He exclaimed. "There's clearly somethin' going on between ya. I can't say I expected it though." He quirked an eyebrow as her mouth gaped open.

"It somewhat makes sense. He doesn't speak much to any of the other professors. With us being around each other so much-"

"Did ya enjoy it?"

"Hagrid!" She playfully swatted his arm.

"That is a serious question, Missy! And a very important detail which ya seem to avoid!" He chuckled. Sofia stayed quiet. She already knew the answer but she simply couldn't open her mouth to admit it. Hagrid patiently waited.

"Yes," She sipped her tea. "But it really doesn't matter now." She firmly stated.

"Why's that?" He huffed.

"Did you not listen to me before? He made it clear it was a mistake."

"Give me a break Sofie. Nothin' is as simple as that, I doubt that git would go out of his way to do something as _grand_ as that for no reason. Besides, we still haven't spoken of yer father." Sofia visibly sighed again. She had almost completely forgotten about him. 

"I'm seeing him in Azkaban this week." Both Sofia and Hagrid continued to talk about her father. After a while, Sofia decided it was time for her to head back. Hagrid knew he would see her quite soon either way as her schedule had completely cleared out. Walking back to her quarters Sofia was exhausted. Whether it was from all the overwhelming emotions she had experienced, the run, or the lack of sleep she wasn't sure. She decided to mark her last paper for the night after she took a quick shower. Upon reading the last question, a certain answer piqued her interest. She had noticed the instructions for a potion which seemed very different from the ones she or Severus had taught in class. Her curiosity quickly overwhelmed her. Just as she was about to mark the question wrong, she decided to test the potion out. She wanted to try to brew it tonight, but she could feel that her body wouldn't even manage to get her to the classroom. Falling into her bed defeated, she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Within seconds she was asleep.

Severus was sitting in his office. After talking to Albus the night before he spent the rest of his time focusing on making plans for his next search, as that seemed to be the only thing that distracted him from thinking about Sofia. Eventually, he thought he had succeeded at tiring himself out. He tried to sleep but an annoying low hum of remorse consistently forced him awake. Eventually, he decided to turn to the thing he knew best: potions. Brewing had always calmed him. He made his way over to the classroom ready to brew the _Draught of Peace._ He had hoped that it would somehow soothe his agitation, proceeding to gather the ingredients quietly, in peace. He noticed that he couldn't locate the powdered moonstone in the storeroom. _Where would Sofia have placed it?_ he thought to himself. Without realizing he was once again thinking of the kiss they shared. He paused on the ladder, momentarily forgetting what he was initially there for. His breathing slowed as Sofia's eyes took over his mind. Forcing himself to forget about it, he quickly found the powdered moonstone and continued to brew the potion. Halfway through, he suddenly realized that he hadn't brewed anything alone in a long time, looking up at his desk he realized that the thing he wanted most at that moment, was to see Sofia. In her glasses, frantically writing something on his desk. Keeping him company. However, he was also painfully aware of the fact that bringing her closer to him could complicate things. He was agitated with himself for not knowing the ultimate solution to this. Deep inside he knew very well that all he wanted was to feel her by his side. As his wants became more apparent to him, it only seemed to disarrange him more. His mind abruptly bridged off to Lily. How his feelings had overcomplicated their relationship and eventually ended up hurting her. He had long ago admitted to himself that her death wasn't his fault, however, the familiar pain still welcomed him with open arms. He knew that he would never admit out loud that his feelings had become overwhelming to him, quickly becoming the only thing he could focus on. When the potion was done, he bottled most of it up in the classroom, only keeping some for himself. Soon enough he could feel himself drifting off to sleep. The last thought crossing his mind before completely falling asleep being Sofia's lips.


	17. Impatience

Sofia was annoyed. Frustrated. And of course angry. She badly wanted to brew that potion with the strange instructions one of her students provided, but the thought of seeing Severus gave her anxiety. However, no matter how angry she was she couldn't shake the urgent need to hear his deep voice again or simply be in his presence. A part of her wanted to forget that kiss. But she knew that that part of her never outweighed the fact that she painfully wanted to feel his lips on hers again. She continuously criticized herself for that feeling of want, but there was nothing she could do about it. There was a fire in her, a mix of anger and lust she assumed. She could no longer deny to herself that she had to know what was going through Severus' mind. Grabbing the exam she confidently walked to the dungeons. Right before she was about to knock she stopped herself realizing she didn't have a clear plan in mind. Her impatience overrode her conscious assumptions as she pushed open the door. To her surprise, Severus wasn't there. Must _be in his office_ , she thought. She proceeded to try to push the thought of him away as she began gathering the ingredients for the potion, closely following the student's instructions. Right as she was about to grab the last ingredient she heard the door swing open. Freezing in her steps, she quickly pretended to ignore the sound, focusing on whatever she was holding in her hand. Internally, she was hoping that Severus would start a conversation with her about what happened that night. Wishing that he would explain everything to her.

Severus walked by Sofia without even glancing at her. He sat on his desk and begun writing something in one of his books. Sofia was in utter disbelief, her anger quickly rising inside her again. Severus didn't know what to do. He could feel Sofia's eyes on him as he continued to write something meaningless on the parchment, knowing that if he were to make eye contact with her he would no longer be able to withstand his affection and either end up pushing her away once again or do something _worse_ than that kiss _._ Meanwhile,Sofia was getting increasingly impatient. Just as she was about to say something Severus spoke first.

"Did you mark the N.E.W.T.'s which I left for you?" He spoke under his breath, forcing himself to continue looking down at the parchment. Sofia's mouth gaped open, _how could he just sit there and continue giving orders_ she thought. She decided to indulge him in this little game and try to see how far she could take it.

"Yes. I'm on my last one actually." She pursed her lips, waiting for a second as she heard him hum. Her nose drills were flaring as her eyebrows were slowly itching higher and higher up her forehead in disbelief, watching him calmly sit here, writing something, basically ignoring her presence. Sofia scanned the room searching for something she could ask for. "Where did you leave the _Syrup of Hellebore_?" Sofia knew very well where it was, she was staring right at it on the bottom shelf.

"Bottom shelf. Towards the left." He muttered waiting to hear Sofia move. After a few seconds had passed he noticed with the corner of his eye that she simply stood in front of him, hand on her hip, head cocked to the side. Sighing, he finally decided to look up at her. "Well, are you not going to get it?" He dragged the 't'. Sofia was now livid. She clenched her teeth, analyzing what her next move should be. Unfortunately, Sofia was never great at thinking before she spoke.

"Are you not going to acknowledge what happened?" Severus visibly stiffened, taken back at Sofia being so upfront.

"Sofia-"

"I'm hoping there's a good explanation," She cautioned. "Because I have been rattling my brain trying to figure out whatever _that_ was and so far I've got nothing." Her breathing was shaky, as she focused on holding herself back from raising her voice.

"Sofia-" He slowly placed his quill down. "There are many things which I would like to say to you, especially now, but unfortunately, I can't."

"Don't treat me like one of your students, speak, Severus." She angrily sneered.

"I can't Sofia." He gritted through his teeth, holding himself back from simply sending her away.

"You cant?" A small chuckle lest her lips. "What do you mean you _can't_?" She mocked.

"There are many things which you are still unaware of." He was beginning to get irritated, trying to hold back all of the things he wanted her to know. Knowing that if she continued she would get it out of him eventually or lead him to have another outburst.

"Then tell me!" She finally raised her voice. "Tell me everything."

"Now is not the time Sofia." He watched her as she seemed speechless, she paced a few steps to the left as she angrily raked her hand through her hair.

"So what, you just want me to sit around and wait?" He simply held her angry gaze. Her hands dropped to her sides. "Wonderful." She whispered to herself as her arms dropped. " You do things, _strange_ things, and then you expect for people to just move on, and not think anything of it..." she began to ramble to herself before Severus sighed loudly.

"Breathe Sofia." He tried to calm her, it was hard for him to see her like that. Especially as he knew that it was all due to his actions. He watched as his attempt to calm her only angered her more. She looked at him, as her eyes narrowed.

"Coward." she hissed at him. Suddenly Severus was no longer frustrated, he felt the familiar flame of anger ignite in him. Pushing his chair back, he swiftly got up and walked across the room.

"You should watch your mouth." His menacing voice warned her, as he pointed his finger.

"Or what?" She gritted through her teeth. He walked up closer to her, his tall frame looming over her in a threatening manner.

"You have no idea how difficult this is for me." He almost whispered his black eyes aggressively scanning her features.

"Oh, and you think this is easy for me?" She laughed again, stepping closer to him. "You invite me to your office for wine, talk to me for hours-" She paused, as both of them knew where she was going with this."-kiss me-" she looked at him, examining his expression. "-and then just...-" She was at a loss for words, her eyes frantically darting from one side of the room to another as she placed her hand on her forehead. He shut his eyes momentarily, realizing that he could once more smell her perfume. She was so close to him he could almost remember how her skin felt at his fingertips.

"I don't know what to do Sofia." He whispered. Her grey eyes darted to his, her expression suddenly softening. She could sense that he was no longer angry. He seemed somewhat conflicted. She looked down for a second. Sofia was unsure of what was going through her mind. On impulse she took a step closer to him, completely closing the small space they had between their bodies. She reached her hands up to the collar of his black frock pulling him down towards her. Within mere seconds her lips were on his once more. Both of them suddenly reliving that night. Eyes shut as their lips moved in unison. Both indulging in the feeling of adrenalin and lust. Severus' hands quickly found their way to Sofia's waist firmly pulling her in closer. Her hands softly moved up to caress his neck as she continued to kiss him. Both of them were completely lost for a moment. Time stood still as the room was filled with deafening silence. Severus tried to pull her in even closer as his arms snaked around her body.

No matter how much Sofia was longing to continue kissing the man, to her own surprise she softly pulled away from his lips, feeling his arms around her waist tightly holding her close to him. At that moment she felt more secure and wanted than she did in her whole life. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to his face.

"How about now?" She asked referring to his statement before. Her eyes were pleading for Severus to give her the answer she wanted. _Needed_. The seconds which passed felt like a century for Sofia. No matter how badly she wanted him to grab her and kiss her again, or simply speak, he abruptly looked away from her. He hesitantly removed his hands from her waist taking a small step back. Sofia was suddenly welcomed by a familiar feeling of dread. Sighing, she looked down at her feet, with nothing else to say to him. Now having done everything in her power to figure him out, she felt completely defeated.

For Severus, it was torture to see that he had put her in this position. Wanting with all his might to once more place his hands on her, pulling her in close and erasing the emotion he could sense from her eyes. But he knew very well, that if he were to do that without fully accepting all possible implications it would end up hurting her more.

Sofia bit the inside of her cheek, as she realized she had once more made a fool of herself. Slowly walking around him she made her way towards the door. As she pulled the heavy door open she suddenly couldn't stop herself from speaking again.

"I will be leaving for Azkaban this Friday. 11 am." She firmly finished exiting the classroom. She didn't know what possessed her to say that, but unfortunately, she simply couldn't help herself.

Severus was in a trance. Without thinking clearly, he grabbed the closest thing to him and threw it at the wall. The vial quickly shattered in front of him, the sharp noise making him wince. After exhaling a few breaths of frustration, he reluctantly sat on one of the chairs, massaging his temples. Sitting in complete silence.

In the hallway, Sofia heard the faint sound of glass shattering. Assuming that he had simply knocked something over, she proceeded to ignore it, slowly making her way back to her quarters.

Days had passed as Sofia isolated herself in her room. She managed to quickly pick up as many exams as she could from the potions classroom one evening whilst Severus wasn't around. Zinky would bring Sofia food twice a day whilst she silently read books or marked endless papers.

Severus had a different way of dealing with himself. He had once more repeated his trip to Hogsmeade, picking up some Firewhiskey. However, he had no intention of repeating the day where he had missed two of his classes. Instead, he paced himself hoping that somehow the alcohol would help him understand what he should do. Knowing that Sofia was worth so much more than his indecisiveness, only made it harder for him. Severus knew that he wanted Sofia in every way possible. What he couldn't understand is; if this was truly something which would make both of them content? Instead of completely demolishing their professional relationship and fully putting Albus' plans at stake.

Soon enough Friday had come. Severus and Sofia both woke up extremely early that morning. Sofia had convinced herself that today was the day she not only would have to face her insane father, but also the day she would maybe see Severus again and understand his underlying intentions. All morning, she constantly scolded herself for inviting him to come with her Something inside of Sofia kept reminding her that if he were to show up today, it would give her somewhat of a small clue as to what he truly wanted. Severus seemed to gather the same thought. He knew that if he were to stand by her side in Azkaban it would be an obvious sigh for Sofia that he didn't want to leave her with her own assumptions or abandon his feelings.

After getting dressed Sofia silently sat on her bed, painfully watching as the clock ticked. 10:47. She nervously tapped her foot on the floor, her head feeling like it would explode. Her mind was plagued with images of her father and Severus. Patiently waiting for the clock to strike 11 seemed impossible to her. Abruptly getting up she walked around her room, focusing on getting her mind of everything that seemed to drive her mad. She walked endless laps around her bed glancing back at the clock every second. Soon enough the clock in her room struck 11. She could hear the clock tower at Hogwarts chime the same thing loudly above her. After it was done chiming she waited.

And waited.

And waited.


	18. The Sea

Sofia waited for a second more. It was now ten past 11. She could no longer think of an excuse to stay and wait for Severus to show up. Especially since she had a more important matter to focus on. She had never been to Azkaban, she knew that it was an extremely difficult process just to get there. She had never been in contact with a Dementor either, except for that one D.A.D.A. class. She had only seen images of the prison, to her luck she had recently found out that Dementors were no longer used as guards, therefore that thought calmed her a little. Until recently she never even thought she would have to step foot on that island, but now she was looking over a rough note with the station names and train times. She knew that in theory, she could have just apparated onto the island, however, she was worried her powers alone would not be enough for such a journey, especially since she had to think hard of the place she wanted to apparate to. She decided to go east via train to get herself closer to the North Sea, from where she would eventually have to apparate. Taking in a deep breath, she braced herself for the journey. She decided not to wear her wizarding robes as they always seemed to annoy her on long trips. She wore a black coat that stopped at her knees, black jeans and a black sweater. _Just perfect for visiting a prison_ , she thought. Tying her hair into a ponytail, she pulled out her small coin pouch which she had enchanted with an _Undetectable Extensions_ Charm. She placed her book in it, some food for the journey, her glasses and wand. Firmly she stepped out of her room, locking the door behind her, making her way over to the train station. 

Meanwhile, Severus sat in his room staring at the clock. He knew that if he wanted to see Sofia he would have to go now, and quickly as he was already late, but something held him back. With his right hand placed over his chin, he sat there in silence. _She's probably already gone_ , his mind wondered. It suddenly hit him: he had to go either way as to his knowledge Sofia had never previously been to Azkaban, therefore she would struggle to apparate into the middle of the North Sea. The last thing he needed was the image of her in the middle of the sea, stranded. The thought of that was enough to remind him what he truly wanted. Quickly getting up and grabbing his wand he walked out of his room. 

Sofia silently stood at the train station. The wait made her anxious. The longer she stood there the more she continued to think about her father and the horrible interaction she was about to place herself into. She scratched at her forearm aggressively as she waited for fo the train. After exhaling another deep breath to calm herself, she felt someones gaze burning through her. She darted her eyes to the side refusing to turn her head. She breathed in again hoping it was just someone passing by. She could hear slow footsteps approach her. Suddenly she noticed a tall man out of her peripheral vision. Severus had soon walked up next to her, also looking out into the train station. She didn't look up at him. Even though inside she was extremely grateful that he came, her mind was too focused on her father. Severus stole a quick glance at her before speaking. 

"Why are you at the station?" His low voice spoke into nothing. 

"Thought the closer I get to the sea, the easier it would be for me to apparate." She cooly responded. She heard him sigh. He slowly pulled up his left arm offering it to her. She looked up at him for reassurance as he gave her a slow nod. She linked her arm with his. As she watched him momentarily shut his eyes she felt her whole body twist in pain. She saw flashing lights and darkness, as her whole body felt like it was being twisted from the inside out. Suddenly she felt ground under her feet once more. She leaned over gripping at her coat and knees, taking in deep exasperated breaths. She felt Severus' palm gently touch her back.

"Give yourself time. Not many can handle such a journey." He spoke. She continued raggedly breathing for a second. After she had calmed, she stretched her neck. Straightening her back she looked around. She saw a huge black stone building in front of her. Her thoughts were interrupted by the loud splash of waves behind her. She looked back to see endless darkness and black water. The sea and the sky seemed to blur together, darkness overcoming her. She shivered at the cold salty breeze. She squinted her eyes trying to remember the last time she saw the sea, it felt like years. She loved the water. The strong waves hitting the shore. The sound of seagulls, the sun, but unfortunately this was a completely different experience. She looked back at Severus who was intently watching her, his hands clenched together. He nudged his head towards the tall building without saying a word. Sofia nodded back and followed him in. 

Severus greeted someone in the distance, the old gruff man at the gate seemed to eye Sofia from head to toe sternly. He eventually let both of them in after Severus had whispered something to him. Sofia shivered once more as she felt the coldness of the building engulf her. She could hear faint footsteps and droplets of water hitting the ground. She followed Severus up a staircase. Suddenly she heard a loud scream that sounded completely inhumane. She froze in her steps as her eyes widened. Severus felt that she was falling behind, he looked back to find her pale, looking as if through him. 

"No one can get out." He reassured her as she stayed silent. "Just stay close." He seemed to break her out of her trance as she slowly moved closer to him. Eventually, they walked through a narrow hallway where Sofia began to hear faint sounds of whaling. Severus suddenly stopped and turned to her. His usual emotionless expression now showed concern. He leaned closer to Sofia.

"He is in that cell." Severus gestured. "Take as much time as you need. When you are done, I will be waiting here." Sofia looked at him puzzled. "It's best that he doesn't see me right now." Sofia nodded. Severus didn't want William to start going on about the _threat_ in front of Sofia. He hoped that with him out of the picture William wouldn't say anything vaguely related to Voldemort or Death Eaters. 

Sofia walked over to the cell. She saw a thin man crouched on the ground. Both his arms attached to chains. His hair was matted and dirty. She could see huge gashes on his forearms from pulling on the metal cuffs. She slowly made her way over to the bars, lowering her body to his level. Crouching down she felt her foot softly step into a puddle. The sound of splashing echoed in the cell. The man jerked his head towards Sofia, throwing his body at the bars. Sofia fell backwards onto the damp stone floor. She could feel her chest tighten, her breathing stopped as her eyes became pale. She could see the rough contour of the man's face. Without a doubt, she knew it was her father. He quirked his head to the side eerily grinning at her. After she had regained her composure she pushed her body closer to the bars. His arms were pulled back by the chains as he forcefully tried to lean closer to her. Their eyes met. His eyes were paler than Sofia's. Lips chapped, a rough beard covering the majority of his face. 

"A woman!" He exclaimed. "What brings you here? What?!" He repeated. 

"Dad?" She whispered. The man suddenly let out a quiet laugh which slowly grew into a deafening echo around the walls of Azkaban. Sofia winced as she watched him. "Do you remember me?" Some part of her longed for him to say yes. There was always a small hope in Sofia's mind that by seeing her, her father would recognize her. Those hopes quickly faded as she watched him unnaturally shake his head. 

"I am a father to no one." His eyes avoiding her gaze. Sofia felt her soul leave her body, dread filling her up from the inside. Her mouth was slightly open. The shock from seeing her father not only alive but deranged left her speechless. She didn't know what else she could possibly say to him. 

"My name is Sofia." She paused. "You were once my father." She whispered. The man proceeded to ignore her, as he twisted his head from one side to another. He jerked his head back to Sofia smiling once more. 

"I knew a Sofia once. I met her at sea. A beautiful siren, with hair like fire, I sailed across the Atlantic once..." The man continued to ramble on, unnaturally turning his head from her to the wall. Sofia furrowed her eyebrows. Her father hated the sea. She knew that the man was making things up, whether they were real was all up to his mind. Sofia could see that what was once her father now became an empty shell of a man. Either due to isolation or Voldemort. She placed her hands on the bars watching him.

"We used to walk around the small park by my house. You would point out all of the silly looking rocks, it always made me laugh when I was small." She continued. Although she knew that there was a very small possibility any of this would mean anything to William, she couldn't help herself. "We would collect the smallest of the rocks and I would place them all over my room..." She spoke. However, the man simply continued to ramble on about the sea and sirens. William looked at her once more. He moved his body towards her as she stayed still. "Every time you visited we would count them. Remembering all the places we had found them." Sofia tried to hold her gaze with his, which deemed to be quite difficult as he kept darting his eyes from corner to corner. Eventually, Sofia gave up. She knew that she wouldn't get much further simply by forcing him to relive memories which he didn't possess any longer. She hastily got up. Her movements seemed to make William frantic.

"No! Don't leave!" His voice broke, gaping at her. "They're watching me. Watching. Every move, watching." He started to repeat himself again. Sofia harshly swallowed. 

"I have to go." She simply replied. She could no longer watch this. Her heart felt heavy in her chest. Somehow seeing the vague features of her father forced her to relive all the scarce memories she had of him. Nonetheless, she remembered Severus' and Albus' words of him being dangerous and one of Voldemort's most loyal followers which seemed to confused her. 

"Will you come back?" He yelled. Sofia just winced as she walked away from the cell, hearing his voice echo down the hallway. She saw Severus in the distance calmly waiting for her. 

Before he could say anything she walked past him muttering a soft; _get me out of here_.

Severus followed her down the staircase as she quickly exited the building. He noticed that he couldn't keep up with her. Speeding up he caught up with her, standing by her side as she moved closer to the edge of the island, listening to the rough waves which surrounded them. He stepped closer to her offering his arm once more. 

"I don't want to go back to Hogwarts straight away." She spoke, her arms crossed over her chest, looking out into the storm. Severus glanced down at her, confused. "I want to take the train back."

"You realize that would take hours?" His deep voice responded. Sofia was beginning to get agitated. 

"Just..." She paused. "Can't you apparate onto the train? A little before it reaches Hogsmeade maybe?" Her voice was firm. However, Severus could sense the pleading in her eyes. He huffed reaching his arm out to her once more. She firmly gripped onto him. Within seconds she felt her feet on a moving train. The train was quiet. She took her arm of Severus as she walked forwards looking for an empty cabin. The train seemed almost empty, only a few people in some of the cabins. After walking through two carriages with Severus on her back she found a cabin that suited her. She slid the door open sitting by the window. Severus slowly followed her. He sat across from her. Tense silence between them. 

"We should be there in an hour or so." He coldly stated. She nodded not taking her eyes of the window. Propping her elbow on the small table she leaned her hand into her palm. Watching as they passed by fields and mountains covered with snow. She noticed some frozen lakes as the train continued to quickly glide across the tracks.

Severus noticed The Daily Prophet next to his seat. He picked up the newspaper unfolding it. Leaning back, he proceeded to read in silence as Sofia continued to observe the landscapes. He would sometimes carefully move the newspaper down to glance at Sofia. He was impressed at how collected she seemed. After a few more minutes of continuous glancing, he noticed something, a single tear slide down Sofia's check. She was unaware that Severus was watching her. Quickly wiping the tear of her face she continued looking out. Severus could no longer watch her after he saw that she was clearly upset. Without thinking, he folded up the newspaper and moved to sit next to her. Sofia almost seemed oblivious to his action, her right palm placed softly on the seat. Severus sat by her side for a second. He once more rekindled a feeling of wanting to comfort her. Not understanding how to successfully do it, he slowly moved his arm towards her, placing his palm on top of hers, gently squeezing her hand. He watched as her eyes momentarily shut. He expected her to pull away from his touch, but to his surprise, she stayed still, softly responding to his small action with a squeeze back. He watched as a few more tears slid down Sofia's cheek. For the next hour, they sat in silence. Severus making sure to keep hold of Sofia's palm all the whole way to Hogsmeade. 


	19. Details

Christmas break was coming to an end. Only a few days left before the students would come back and fill the hallways of Hogwarts. Sofia was done with marking her portion of the N.E.W.T's. She had pondered on how sweet Severus had been during their trip to Azkaban. Although she knew there was nothing she could expect of him, she still appreciated that he accompanied her. Her mind wandered back to Remus' words. How he had told her that she shouldn't feel guilty for not feeling sad. His words resonated with her. That was exactly the feeling she had experienced at the moment. Although seeing her father shook her to the core, now she just felt empty. Over time her emotions had slowly come back to her. She went down to see Hagrid a handful of times and had tea with Minerva. Life seemed to slowly fall back into place. Thursday evening she decided to head down to the potions classroom to see if Severus needed any more help with marking some of the 5th year exams, as she had taken over 6th and 7th years. Walking through the elf door she entered the dungeons.

She spotted Severus in the corner of the classroom collecting ingredients. He looked up at her slowly, his eyes visibly softened.

"Missed my company I see." He drily spoke. 

"You wish." She responded with a small smile. Severus was happy to see some of the old Sofia again. She seemed to look less pale to him, especially after seeing her father. "I've market all the exams which you gave me. Do you need any help before the next term begins?" She spoke, placing her neatly stacked exams on the teacher's desk. 

"No. I have marked all the others. They're in my office." He continued whilst focusing on measuring something. "I would appreciate it if you could bring them here, and place them with the rest. My door is open." His deep monotone voice finished. Sofia nodded. His voice made sent a shiver up her spine. Pushing the door open she scanned for the papers. His office was dark as usual. Walking through the door she stepped up his the table, she noticed his frock thrown on the leather chair. As she gathered the rest of the exams she looked around the room. She saw some of the potions textbooks lying on the floor, a few pieces of parchment on the chair, and his quill laying on the small table by the fireplace. The misplacement of the quill and books irritated her. Huffing she walked over to the small table by the fireplace and grabbed the quill. In her mind, it belonged next to the vile of ink which was on his office table. Suddenly she felt heat. She turned around to see the fire still dimly lit. She furrowed her eyebrow. _Why would the fire still be burning_? She thought. _She glanced at the clock which prominently showed 9 pm_. It didn't make sense to her as to why the fire would still be burning, surely he wouldn't waste the wood all throughout the day? Choosing to ignore her thoughts she walked out of the room shutting the door behind her. She watched as Severus paced around a cauldron. She noticed the deep purple bags under his eyes. His hair seemed to be frizzier than usual. She proceeded to sit at the desk and look over the exams. 

"How are you feeling?" He asked her quietly, referring to their most recent trip.

"Empty actually." She chirped promptly. "I thought I would feel worse. But I don't feel anything." He looked up at her as she continued to look at one of the exams. Severus was surprised at her response, however, he simply continued to stir. 

Sofia scanned over the first paper intently reading the answers. Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud crashing sound. She looked up to find Severus leaning over the ground picking up one of his instruments. Biting the inside of her cheek she continued to read over the paper. Quickly scanning over page 10 her eyes suddenly froze. She noticed a harsh red tick next to an extremely messy scribbled answer. She reread the answer multiple times. The student had written the instructions for a _Wit Sharpening Potion_. The student had completely failed to mention any measurements or any presence of _Ginger Roots_. She squinted at Severus' notes in red ink. The note simply said: _good_ , with a tick by it. Placing that exam to the side she reached for another. She proceeded to look at the next exam, quickly noticing another mistake in the marking. In the next paper, she saw how Severus had corrected a certain student's perfectly correct answer wrongly. He had corrected the student's calculations with a wrong sum. Sofia recalculated the equation over and over in her head and still, she could see that Severus correction was incorrect. After finding more and more exams which were filled with mismarkings she placed the papers down looking up at the ceiling with a puzzled expression, cocking her head to the side. 

"Severus... some of these answers are marked wrongly." She spoke, looking at him. Pausing in his step Severus huffed at her. 

"Circle the ones that I've missed and I will look over them-"

"There's quite a lot Severus-'

"Just circle them Sofia." He barked back. Sofia was taken back at his response. She could sense that Severus was extremely irritated, but she wasn't sure at what. With her hand still on the exams, she raised her other arm to her face watching him intently for a minute. She heard him curse under his breath, as he stepped towards the shelves. 

"Where is the Valerian root?" He rasped. Sofia was stunned at his question. She could see all the way from the desk that the Valerian root was right in front of his eyes on the third shelf. Confused, she softly responded. 

"Third shelf, towards the middle." He spotted the vile. Grunting to himself he stepped back to the cauldron. 

"Is everything okay?" She decided to ask him, her head still leaning over to the side. 

"Yes." He colly replied. Severus continued to brew as he felt Sofia's eyes on him. He paused, looking up at her. "Is there anything you would like to say Sofia?" He spoke visibly agitated. Straightening her head Sofia softly shook it. Her mind wandered as to why Severus would be so irritated. She pondered if it was maybe because of their recent kiss, which was still unresolved? Or possibly something to do with her father? She knew that something strange was going on as she remembered how he chose to wait for her in the hallway of Azkaban instead of joining her near the cell. She tried to focus on the exams once more before she heard him drop another instrument. Taking in a deep breath she continued to try to read the papers. 

"I will be gone from Thursday next week. Therefore make sure you are prepared to cover your first core class." He spoke. Sofia nodded still looking down at the exams. Her curiosity overwhelmed. She wanted, no, needed to know where Severus kept disappearing. She tried to ignore her raging curiosity. But she couldn't help it. _Does it have something to do with her father? With Albus? Or perhaps Voldemort since he still hasn't explained to her why he has a Death Eater emerald in his drawer_. She realized she could no longer keep guessing. Forcibly placing down her quill she looked up at him.

"Are you going back to Azkaban?" She questioned. Severus stilled for a second. Without looking up he shook his head. "Is Albus going with you?" She asked again, searching for a single clue as to what he was doing. To her disbelief, he just shook his head again. Sofia was beginning to get impatient. "You never-" Before she could finish her sentence she watched as Severus harshly places his hands on the table, his black eyes now staring aggressively at her. As if into her soul. 

"Maybe you would prefer to _write_ these pointless questions, and stop interrupting me." He voice was menacing. Sofia's eyes widened. "When you gather everything you want to ask me, I can then answer them all at once." He continued sarcastically, his palms pressed firmly on the table. Even though he was absolutely exhausted, he mentally scolded himself for speaking to her like that. Sofia wasn't sure what to do. She watched as he slouched over the cauldron. Noticing that it was the first time she had seen his body without that obnoxious black frock which reached the floor. He was wearing a deep navy button-down shirt with navy trousers. He almost looked like a different man to her. She watched his slender body for a second, feeling adrenalin rush through her body like it did the last time his fingertips touched her scar. She felt the overwhelming need to be closer to him. She also needed to know what was going on in his head. Feeling an abrupt wave of courage she pushed back the chair and slowly walked up to him. 

Severus could feel movement in front of him, however, his mind was so overwhelmed with strictly following instructions of his current potion that he failed to notice Sofia stand by his side. She waited for him to notice her. To her surprise, he continued to bend over the potion, intently watching its colour.  
  
"Severus?" She quietly spoke. He simply hummed in response ignoring her presence. "I want to know about the emerald." She hastily whispered. His eyes darted from the potion to the floor. Straightening his back he turned to her, suddenly feeling her body extremely close to him. She was merely a foot away from him. He looked down at her soft features, feeling a need to touch her cheek. To brush the hair away from her face. To kiss her again. Looking away to the wall he slowly breathed raising his eyebrows, thinking over his options. He decided that now seemed to be the best time to tell her. Looking into her pale eyes he spoke. 

"I'll finish brewing this, and then we can talk in my office." Sofia smiled at him. Her smile made Severus' whole body relax. He had only now realized the effect such a small action had on him. He watched as she made her way back to the desk and continued to grade. 

Soon enough he was done. Bottling up the potion, he cleaned up quickly with a swift wave of his hand. Looking up at Sofia, he saw her mouthing something to herself, round glasses placed on her nose. She continued to mutter words to herself her expression slowly becoming more and more confused. 

"I don't believe I am completely incompetent at grading my own papers."He crossed his arms over his chest. Sofia quickly looked up at him her mouth slightly open.   
  
"No...but some of these make it seem like you're the student..." She held his gaze with a cheeky smile. There it was. Another laugh. She hadn't heard it since the night she had wine with him. Her heart felt warm. She could see that Severus was still utterly tired, however knowing that she was the reason for that deep course laugh, and some light in his eyes made her happy. 

"Leave the exams. I will look over them again tomorrow. Come" He gestured for her to follow him to his office, a small smile on his face. 

Sofia once more found herself on the familiar leather chair. Severus sat across from her. Taking in a single deep breath he started to speak. 

"When William Greene was put in Azkaban, there were rumours that he was driving all of the wardens mad with insane theories about some threat. Soon, the Ministry of Magic wanted Albus to have a conversation with that man. To see if the threat was a legitimate one or just a fiction of William Greene's imagination." Severus rolled his eyes softly gesturing with his hand. "After having a few conversations with him Albus seemed to believe that this threat was real and it could be putting the students of Hogwarts at risk. He then asked me to look for an object which William kept speaking of. Up until a few weeks ago, neither of us knew what that object was. Now we know that it is a wristwatch which once belonged to him." Severus sighed. "Albus has been sending me on missions to look for it, which is the reason he needed to find an adequate substitute teacher for my classes. The missions were utterly pointless as I did not know what I was searching for. I simply knew it had to have once belonged to William Greene." Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "This Thursday I have to go back to the first place I visited, and now look for a wristwatch." 

"Is that why your office is a mess?" Sofia mused. Her knees were now pulled up on the chair, both of them leaning to one side as she intently listened to Severus.

"Pardon?" 

"Well...with the core classes and the trips, I doubt you have the time to grade 5th-year exams." She spoke. Severus groaned at her attentiveness.

"Perhaps I have spent a few nights working for longer than I should have. I can handle my own capabilities Sofia." In response to his words, Sofia scoffed, which caused one of his eyebrows to quirk, as his lips pursed, his head almost playfully cocking to the side, judging her action. 

"Sorry." She whispered, as she almost noticed a sly smile on his face. "But you still haven't told me about the emerald?" 

"Yes. The emerald belonged to your father. Albus retrieved it from the ministry for me." Sofia looked even more confused. "Dark wizards often leave traces of their magic on things which belong to them. Therefore I thought the emerald would help me find the object." 

"How is the watch in any way related to this?" Sofia gestured looking at the wall.

"I am unsure. However, Albus is adamant on me retrieving it." His voice raspy, watching Sofia take in all the information. 

"And Albus is okay with me knowing all this?" She questioned.

"Well..." Severus shifted in his seat. "Albus seems to believe that you might be of help regarding the search." Severus seemed to say the last words sarcastically. Sofia shot him a menacing look. 

"Maybe I am." She watched Severus who seemed to look even more tired than before. "What if I come with you to look for it?" She tested her luck.

"That won't be necessary I doubt-"

"And what if it is?" She interrupted him. Severus just shook his head slowly, realizing what he might have just got himself into as images of him and Sofia travelling together flooded his mind. The room was silent. Both of them staring at each other. The fire's soft crackling filled the room. Sofia watched as Severus eyes slowly scanned her lips, she suddenly felt another surge of lust pump through her, as did Severus. Both of them mentally reliving their last kiss. To ease the tension, Sofia abruptly got up. 

"I'll go speak to Albus. Ask him, if I can join you for the search." Severus' eyes suddenly shot wide open. He got up to follow her as she dodged for the door. 

"Sofia wait." He placed his hand on hers which was currently on the doorknob of his office door. Both of them were aware of the student touch. Sofia looked up at him waiting for him to speak. Neither of them removing themselves from the others touch. It pained both to admit that all they wanted was to feel _more_. To lock lips once more. Sofia, to feel his hands on her waist, Severus to feel hers on his neck. Their eyes firmly locked as she waited. "I truly don't think that would be necessary." He spoke. He wanted to say something completely different. He wanted to thank her for offering to accompany him, to tell her how much he's been longing for her the past few days, but instead, he stayed silent. 

Sofia was a little offended at his comment. Softly removing her hand from his grasp she pushed the door open and made her way to the staircase, praying that Albus was still in his office. 


	20. Intentions

Arriving once more at the Griffin, Sofia whispered the password. Forgetting to knock she pushed the door open. 

"Albus?" Albus was visibly startled at her abrupt entrance. 

"I really should get a bell. This is becoming quite a regular occurrence. The only thing missing is Severus barging in as well-" Both of them watched the door as Severus walked into the office with a quick step. "Ah. There he is." Albus smiled. 

"If you have a minute, I wanted to talk to you about William Greene," Sofia spoke as she sat down at Albus' desk. Albus nodded. "Severus told me everything about the watch, the emerald, and the threat." She paused. Albus simply continued to nod. "I was wondering if I could come with him on the search?" She dragged the sentence out squinting at him hope in her eyes. Albus looked up at Severus who once more regained his composture a few steps behind Sofia. He waited for Severus to give him a sign. Any sign of whether he was okay with this or not. But Severus just started back at the man. 

"You realize Sofie that I will then be out of _two_ potion's professors?" Albus quirked an eyebrow. 

"I will cover all the classes with Severus this week. He said he was leaving Thursday. I will make sure to cover Thursday's core class, and as you might now there are almost no potion's classes on Fridays, therefore, I could just join Severus Thursday evening." She rambled on. 

"Is this what you want Sofie?" He asked her. She nodded in return. "You truly believe you could help Severus?" She quickly nodded again. "And you Severus? How do you feel about this?" Both Albus and Sofia stared at Severus. His eyes darted from Sofia to Albus. He noticed Albus' cheeky smile as Sofia sternly gazed into his own eyes. 

"I guess it wouldn't hurt." He spoke dryly grunting. Sofia's eyes lit up with excitement as she looked back at Albus. She always wanted to be a part of something bigger. She similarly hoped that she would find out more about her father from Severus if they were to spend that time together. _Maybe he would even be willing to talk about their kiss_...she thought. Quickly she blinked her eyes a few times shaking that thought away before she could feel the familiar shiver dance down her spine. 

"It's settled then... Sofie, make sure you find someone to cover Friday's classes if there are any. And Severus update Sofie on everything you know so far so you can ensure a productive search." As Sofia got up to leave she heard Albus clear his throat, she paused quickly spinning around. "Don't disappoint me, Sofie." He warned her. Nodding she rushed out of his office. Severus on her heels. Sofia marched down the hallway as he caught up with her. 

"Sofia!" He hissed, she paused in her step, watching as he towered over her. "I hope you realize this isn't some holiday. It's a search." 

"I'm well aware of what a _search_ is Severus but thank you so much for clarifying that for me." She rolled her eyes. 

"Meet me in my office Monday evening after dinner. Don't be late." With that, he swiftly walked by her. She watched his tall frame disappear into the darkness of the hallway. She couldn't help herself as a soft smile came upon her face. 

* * *

Monday morning came around faster than she wanted it. The students had once more filled up the dorms, the building no longer quiet. Sofia taught two classes that morning and one in the afternoon. She was excited about her meeting with Severus. Excited to do something which didn't involve potion-brewing, especially because she couldn't wait to find out where they were going. Soon enough dinner came around. Walking through to the Great Hall, she sat next to Hagrid. After Albus welcomed all the children back from their break, everyone began eating. She was surprised to see Severus' seat empty. After chatting to Hagrid for a while and finishing her food she noticed that Severus was nowhere to be found. Soon enough she noticed the children slowly begin to head back to their dormitories. Concerned, she finished her drink thinking of if there was something she should do. _Maybe he asked Zinky to bring some food into his office?_ She thought. As she headed towards the kitchen elf door she noticed Zinky. 

"Hey Zinky, did Professor Snape by any chance ask you to bring his dinner down to the dungeons?" She asked nonchalantly. 

"No Ms Sofie." Zinky shook her head. Sofia was just about to step onto the staircase before she thought of something. 

"Do you have a dinner that's untouched around?"

"Of course Ms Sofie!" Zinky quickly brought Sofia a plate of food. Grabbing the plate, Sofia walked up the staircase uttering the coordinates to the dungeons. Softly knocking, Sofia heard Severus' murmur for her to come in. Upon entering, she saw journals with scribbles of locations all over his desk, and a large map hanging over the fireplace, which was not there before. Severus looked up at Sofia gesturing for her to sit down by the fire. She saw a small glass of whiskey next to the vile of ink on the desk. Before sitting by the fire, she placed the plate of food on his desk. 

"What is this?" He spoke deeply eyeing the plate without looking up at her.

"I didn't see you at dinner, thought maybe you were hungry" She spoke flatly, walking over to the fireplace, placing herself on the floor by the fire.

"You know you can sit on the chair." he spoke matter-of-factly. 

"I prefer the floor, it's warmer by the fire." She spoke, staring into the flames. Placing his quill down, Severus picked at his food. Eating a few pieces here and there. He didn't want to keep Sofia waiting, taking a quick swig of his whiskey he walked over to the fireplace with one of the journals. Sofia continued to stare into the flames. 

"Thank you." He spoke as he sat down on his chair armchair across from her, the small wooden table separating them. 

"For what?" 

"The food," he muttered. Sofia stole a glance at him, almost noticing a small smile on his face. "There are three locations we have to visit. I have all the coordinates here. They were once hideout locations for some of the Death Eaters, especially William Greene." Sofia nodded still watching the fire. "The first location is on the outskirts of Aberdeen. There is an inn quite close to the hideout. I will be staying there. There are two rooms prepared for us. When you come, make sure to say your full name. The first search should not take long as the building is relatively small. We should be back at Hogwarts by Saturday evening, I will be leaving Thursday morning, and you can join me as soon as you teach your core class." He scribbled something again. Sofia had never been to Aberdeen, she tried to picture the inn as she continued to be mesmerised by the flames. "Can you read off coordinates, in order to apparate?" Sofia's eyes went wide. Without turning her head she nodded, slowly. She had no clue how to read off coordinates but she wasn't about to admit that to him. Severus watched her from behind, a sly smirk appeared on his face as he had realized that he caught her in a lie. Leaning back in his armchair he decided to play a little game with her. "Alright. I'll read off the coordinates and you tell me where the place is on the map." Sofia stiffened, as she took a deep breath in. 

"Go ahead." _She isn't backing down_ , he thought. Picking up his journal he began reading the coordinates. Sofia hastily got up and looked at the massive map, quickly scanning for Aberdeen. Intently listening to Severus' husky voice, she raised her hand hovering it over Aberdeen. _Where the hell am I going with this_? She thought. Severus watched her for a second with a smile. 

"Would you like me to repeat them?" 

"Mhm." She hummed. _Maybe I'll land on it, Aberdeen is quite small_...she thought again. As Severus repeated the coordinates she continued to glide her hand over the map. Severus now felt his lips curve into an amused smile. He watched as she cluelessly dragged her finger around Aberdeen. As he noticed her hand glide further and further away he scoffed. 

"For Merlin's sake Sofia..." Severus huffed as he stood up from his armchair. He took a few steps towards her, towering over her body. Standing behind her he scanned the map quickly finding the location. Softly taking her right wrist with his hand he guided it to a point on the map. Sofia stilled. Surprise by his touch. Both of them quiet. Severus felt Sofia's breathing quicken, he couldn't stop himself as he moved a little closer to her body, looking down at the back of her head he waited for her to turn. Sofia continued to stare at the map, lightly leaning back into his body until she felt his torso. Severus let out a very quiet _hm_ escape his mouth as he gently let go of her hand. Sofia slowly let out an exasperated breath. To her surprise, Severus dragged his fingers softly up her arm. Her breathing quickening again, he softly continued to glide his hand up towards her shoulder, gently caressing her exposed collarbone. As his fingers reached her neck he pulled her hair behind her ear. Sofia could feel his deep breaths on her neck. "I can see you're terrible with coordinates." She shivered as she heard his silky voice in her ear. Severus didn't know what came over him, but he didn't want to stop either. Slowly letting go of her hair, he squeezed her shoulder tenderly in a reassuring matter before walking back to his armchair. Sofia was left there. Breathing. In shock of what had just happened. Tying her hair up she ran her fingers over the side of her neck softly, mimicking his touch in an attempt to feel it again. Releasing another breath she turned around to find him calmly writing something in his journal as if nothing had happened. She wondered for a second if she had imagined it all. 

"Alright, maybe I can't read off coordinates. But if you've already been to this inn can't you just give me the address and I'll be there Thursday evening?"

"That would work." He nodded looking down. He couldn't stop himself from smirking once more as he visibly heard the sheepish embarrassment in her voice. He wrote down the address on a piece of parchment, harshly ripping it out he passed it to her, making sure to softly touch her hand before letting go of the parchment. 

"Is there anything else I need to know?" she asked him whilst leaning over the table feeling the familiar adrenalin once more.

"That is all for now. After this search, we will discuss the next." Huffing Sofia got up. Heading for the door she almost hoped for Severus to say something. 

"Goodnight." She quietly spoke. 

"Goodnight, Sofia." As she left his office he placed his journal down. Severus was well aware of what he had just done. Obviously crossing a line in some sense. He knew that he wanted her to stay longer. But for what purpose? He had nothing else to discuss with her, however, right now he badly wanted her by his side nonetheless. Everything was slowly becoming more clear to him as he remembered Albus' words. 

* * *

The week flew by. Sofia continued to teach some classes whilst assisting Severus in others. Although she had convinced herself she might have imagined their most recent interaction, throughout the week she noticed more unexpected attempts of Severus wanting to be close to her.

Once, he asked her to stir a potion, keeping his hand firmly on hers.

Twice, she felt his body close to hers in the potions storeroom... lingering for a little too long.

Thrice, he corrected her notes, leaning in extremely close to her face, speaking almost in a whisper. 

She was now sure that she wasn't imagining anything. On Wednesday when she stayed after class cleaning, he insisted on staying in class with her to work on _something_. She knew very well that he had absolutely no work to do as she had done all of it. Therefore she gathered that he had simply stayed there to keep her company. All those little details filled her mind, as did the excitement of finally leaving the Hogwarts grounds, and Thursday couldn't have come faster. She taught a successful core class on her own for the first time that morning. Her second class seemed to drag by obnoxiously slow, whilst assisting the students, she continuously glared at the clock. Deciding to end class just a few minutes early, she went to her room to grab everything she needed for their trip, as images of Severus flooded her mind once more. 


	21. Aberdeen Inn

Gathering everything Sofia needed into her enchanted coin pouch, she was prepared to apparate. Locking the door behind her she walked through the Hogwarts grounds, rushing by all the students in hopes that no one would ask her any questions. 

"Professor Greene?" She heard a voice from behind her. Sofia stopped. Turning around she saw a 3rd year trying to catch up with her with a book in his hand. 

"Hi, Mr Finly." She warmly smiled at him. "I'm in a tad of a rush, what is it you need?" 

"Oh...I'm sorry Professor Greene..." He looked distraught. "It can wait." Sofia expression softened. He looked so disappointed and confused, so she gestured for him to come closer. 

"Come. I think I can spare a second." She saw that he had a potions textbook in his hands. Realizing that this would take a little longer than a minute Sofia shifted to one of the benches in the stone hallway. Both of them sitting down on the bench the student started rambling, asking her a million questions at once. She realized that he had tried to brew the same potion over and over and it seemed to fail. "Mr Finley, walk me through the process of how you're brewing this?" As he walked her through the process she quickly realized that he kept forgetting to stir the potion in the right direction, correcting him and sending him on his way she smiled to herself as she watched him quickly run towards a group of other 3rd years, pointing at the book. She was once more reminded as to why she loved teaching so much. Seeing the moment when something clicks in a child mind is what kept her going. Smiling to herself she quickly walked out from Hogwarts. As she eventually made it off Hogwarts grounds she was ready to apparate. Taking out the address, she had hoped that her magic was enough to take her to the inn. Shutting her eyes and muttering the address to herself she focused. Hard. Soon, she felt the familiar pain in her bones, praying for it to end quickly she gripped onto her own body. 

* * *

Soon enough she felt her feet reach the ground. To her surprise, the ground seemed soft. Within mere seconds Sofia felt rain on her hair. Looking around she realized that she had found herself in the... _woods?_ Squinting her eyes she failed to see any light around her. She knew that it was way past 7 pm, worrying that the sun was about to set she searched for her wand in her purse. She quickly felt her clothes get wetter and wetter, clinging uncomfortably to her body. Sofia felt a surge of panic as she continued to dig through her purse. She had no idea where she ended up, and it was safe to assume that she also had no idea where she was going. Taking out her wand she focused on breathing through her minor panic attack as she noticed a small trail on the ground. Deciding to follow the trail she proceeded to walk deeper into the woods.

The forest was quickly getting dark around her. The rain picked up, it was now hard for Sofia to see a few feet in front of her. She held out her wand in front of her slowly walking forwards as the forest became pitch black around her. Sofia felt her body begin to shiver aggressively. She proceeded to walk down the path forcing herself to ignore the cold creeping into her body. Suddenly she heard a sound that sounded vaguely like a wolf howl. Eyes widening, Sofia picked up her speed, almost running pushing the branches away from her face. The last thing she needed was to fight off a pack of wolves. She heard as the ear piercing howling got closer to her. Her heart racing in her chest she now began to run. The images of the trees and branches were begging to blur in front of her due to the rain. She continued to run her feet struggling through the snow. Suddenly she felt her body fall to the ground, feeling a sharp pain at her ankle. Looking down she noticed that she had tripped over a root which was hidden under the snow. Sofia was not only soaked but the side of her body was now also covered in mud. Quickly getting up she waited to hear the howling once more. To her luck, the howling had seemed to quiet. Quietly she made her way down the path. Soon enough the forest seemed to become less and less dense. She began to see lights in front of her. Letting out a loud sigh she continued to walk towards the lights. Eventually, she saw the road. Looking down at herself she rolled her eyes. _Severus would never let this go_ , she thought. As she walked up to the only building which still had lights on she checked if it had the same address on it as the parchment. She had finally made it to the inn. The rain showed no signs of slowing down as she made her way inside. 

Walking in she was greeted by warm light. She noticed that there was barely anyone inside. Scanning the Inn she saw a woman sitting behind the bar, walking up to the woman she leaned over the bar.

"Hi. My name is Sofia Greene I-"

"Hello! Yes, Mr Snape told me you would be arriving. Oh my goodness are you okay?" The woman fussed, clearly distraught by Sofia's appearance. 

"Just a little rain. Nothing to worry about." 

"Here. Have a cider. On the house." The woman winked as she reached for a bottle, opening it for Sofia, who was still visibly shivering. The woman proceeded to take out a large black key from a drawer behind the bar. 

"Let me take you to your room. I'm thinking you're in need of a long shower..." The woman walked around the bar and led Sofia up a small wooden staircase. The woman walked Sofia over to a door. To Sofia's surprise, there were only 4 doors around, she admired the lovely inn as she waited for the woman to speak. "Mr Snape is right across from you. If you need anything I'll be downstairs." Sofia smiled at the woman as she walked back down the staircase. Sofia was just about to open the door to her room excited for a warm shower. She realized that she should have arrived here way earlier if it wasn't for the forest incident. Worrying that Severus would scold her for not notifying him when she arrived she turned and faintly knocked on his door. 

"It's open" She heard his voice. Pushing the door open she found Severus on a wooden chair by the fire reading a book, twisting a ring on his index finger. She scanned the beautiful room which was completely covered in wood. Two single beds at each end, a small fireplace and a window. Nothing special yet incredibly welcoming. She stood in his doorway for a second taking a swig of her cider. "I assumed you would have arrived earlier. Did the coordinates confuse you?" He smirked to himself without lifting his eyes from the book. Sofia glared daggers at him waiting for him to look at her. After a few seconds of silence, Severus finally looked up. His smirk quickly turning into a look of faint worry. "Merlin Sofia what the hell happened?" With a swift motion, he shut his book and got up, shutting the door behind her. He took the wet coat from her throwing it on another chair by the fire. Sofia simply continued to drink her cider. 

"Isn't there some quick way for me to dry, some spell I'm unaware of?" She spoke with annoyance in her voice. Rolling his eyes Severus pulled out his wand, waving it from behind her. She quickly felt the warm air hit her back as her clothes dried off almost instantly. "Thank you." She spoke flatly. Severus did the same to her coat which was placed on the chair. 

"What happened?" he spoke firmly, walking around to face her. Sofia took a moment to watch him. He was wearing a white shirt and black trousers. The sleeves of his shirt comfortably rolled up to his elbows. He crossed his arms over his chest tapping his forearm, quirking an eyebrow at her. Rolling her eyes Sofia stood there watching as the light from the fire danced across the features of his face. She proceeded to tell him all about how she had apparated into the middle of the woods. After hearing her out Severus couldn't help his hoarse laugh. 

"This isn't funny." She smiled at his amusement, placing her cider on top of the fireplace. 

"Forgive me. But the image of you falling face-first into the snow is a little funny to me." 

"And the wolves?" She continued.

"That is a little less funny I have to admit." He made his way back to the chair picking up his book, holding it in his hand. The room was once more filled with the sound of the wood crackling in the fireplace. Sofia relaxed as she leaned on the wall by the fire watching him. They stared at each other for a second. Severus rested his elbow on the armrest of the chair, propping his head up with his fingers as he watched her. Both of them stilled. Suddenly realizing what the other was thinking. However, this time neither one of them wanted to stop looking at the other. Severus' eyes gently trailed down her figure. Her breathing slowed as she could feel his dark eyes on her. She could sense something in his eyes.

Lust.

Slowly Sofia walked up to his chair, cocking her head to the side. Lazily he straightened his head letting his arms fall to the armrests. Without uttering a single word, he dropped the book lifting his arms towards her. Placing his hands on her hips he gently pulled her closer towards him. Sofia quickly found herself straddling his lap. Not a second later their lips were connected once more. Raking her hands through his hair she kissed him. Unlike the first kiss they shared, this one was different. Rough. She could feel his hands clutching at her hips, pulling her closer to his body. The fire illuminated the room as they continued to kiss. Their lips hungrily moving in unison. Severus moved his hands up to her waist, snaking them under her shirt gently caressing her back as she continued to pull at his hair. She felt him slow down as he pulled away. Allowing both to catch their breath. Stealing a quick glance at her pale eyes he brought his face closer to her once more placing a soft kiss on her cheek making his way to her jawline, softly trailing down her neck. As his lips began to graze her collarbone Sofia let a soft moan escape her mouth, her head lulling back. Smiling at the effect he had on her, he continued to caress her back, craving her skin, her warmth, closer to him. She could feel his nails dig into her back as he kissed her chest. Breaking away from her chest she felt his deep exasperated breaths warm on her neck. Abruptly both of them realized where this would go if they were to continue. Severus' veins were coursing with adrenalin, as he struggled to stop. Softly pulling his hands from underneath her shirt he rested them on her waist catching his breath. Sofia did the same as she let her head drop on his shoulder. 

"We have a long day tomorrow. You need to sleep." He whispered in her ear. Sofia wearily shook her head. However, she didn't move. Neither of them did. Both wanting to enjoy the sensation for just a second longer. Soon she softly moved her hands from his neck, taking herself off his lap she let out an uneasy breath. He had his palms pressed firmly to his legs, as he felt the warmth of her body leave him. Severus looked up at Sofia. Her lips raw from their kiss, arms crossed protectively over her body. He watched as she glanced into the fire for a second contemplating. He knew what she was thinking. Every cell of his body was thinking the same thing. Whilst he could still control himself he spoke. "I will see you in the morning Sofia." He watched as she bit her lip, softly nodding. Sofia gently turned her body toward the door walking out. Severus watched her body for another second, glancing at her hips and waist before she could disappear from his sight. Leaning back in his chair he twisted his ring, bringing his hand to his face he bit down his index finger trying to stop himself from getting up to follow her. He watched the fire dance, pondering on how this evening could have ended if he were to continue. 

Sofia entered her room. As she shut the door behind her she leaned on it. Breathing. She found herself dragging her finger over her neck. Remembering how his deep voice sounded in her ear. for a second she thought of walking back to him. Realizing that staying was probably best, she started taking off her clothes making her way to the shower. Before stepping in she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, noticing the scratches on her lower back. Once more remembering the sensation of his hands on her, she stepped into the shower shutting her eyes, feeling the warm water hit her hair, thinking of the next time she could feel his body close to hers. 


	22. The Search

Waking up Sofia rolled out of the small single bed. Showering and putting on some clothes she made her way downstairs. She saw Severus already sitting at one of the small tables, drinking coffee whilst reading the newspaper. Placing herself across from him she poured herself some coffee. 

"Morning." She spoke. 

"Morning, Sofia." He glanced at her from above the newspaper. Sofia could feel the tension between them which seemed to have gathered since last night. Staring at him she had a billion questions raising though her mind. Some were related to their passionate encounter last night however most were related to the wristwatch. Observing her, Severus could tell that she was struggling to stay quiet. "I don't bite. You are free to have a conversation with me." Sofia was taken back by his words. It wasn't that she was scared of him, of course not, she was just often concerned that her attempts at a conversation would be deemed as pointless by him. 

"Do you know about the Death Eater hideout locations because you used to stay there?" She questioned. Softly placing down the newspaper he watched her as she sipped her coffee.

"No. I never enjoyed the company, obviously. I often chose to simply go back to my house, or Hogwarts." Hoping that his answer satisfied her he tried to continue reading once more. 

"Why didn't you enjoy their company?" She knew it was a stupid question. She always knew that Severus was never fully devoted to Voldemort, but she wanted to hear that from him. She watched as he gave her a judgemental glare.

"I figured you'd know me well enough by now to be able to answer that question on your own..." He dragged. Sofia felt a little guilty now.

"Can you tell me more about my father?" Severus stilled. He had expected every question except that one. He didn't have a problem telling Sofia about William Greene, however, he knew that now was not the time nor place. 

"I'm not sure now is the right time to discuss him." He softly said. He watched as her shoulders dropped a little, disappointment in her eyes. "How about this-" He spoke again as she looked up. "-think about when you are ready to hear everything. And when that time comes and you are certain of it, you can ask me again." Sofia softly smiled at him. She knew next to nothing about what her father did during his time as a Death Eater. She decided that it was for the best to not open that can of worms now. 

"Is the search going to take long?" 

"No longer than a few hours. We should be back here for dinner." Sofia looked puzzled. _If the search was only going to take one day why on earth did he tell her that they would only be back at Hogwarts Saturday?_

"Then couldn't we just return to Hogwarts tonight?" She watched as Severus rolled his eyes. 

"If you prefer to go back to the castle earlier you are free to do so. However, I quite enjoy taking advantage of my time off when the opportunity arises." Sofia narrowed her eyes at him. She never saw Severus as the kind of man to enjoy time off. Especially when she was a student, she always figured he was the type of man who spends his free time brewing potions and nothing more. Realizing now that that was an incredibly stupid assumption she finished her coffee. Noticing that she was done, Severus promptly got up. After both of them had left the building she followed Severus as he crossed the street, making his way towards the forest which Sofia apparated to last night. 

"How long is the walk?" 

"Only a half hour. Hopefully, you can handle that." Sofia scoffed as she caught up with him. "-unless we run into some wolves..." Sofia squinted at him in an annoyed manner as he smirked. She watched as Severus started walking down the same trail. She followed him into the woods. She felt her body get colder as the woods shielded away the little sun she felt on her skin before. She stayed behind him as the trail was extremely narrow. Sofia watched his tall frame push through the branches, suddenly feeling a dull pain in her ankle from the fall last night. Sofia could see that Severus knew very well where he was going. As if returning to a much familiar place. She wondered what his life was like as a Death Eater. How difficult it must have been to serve the _Dark Lord_. Especially as she had, of course, heard the rumours surrounding Lily and James Potter's deaths. If the rumours were at all true she couldn't understand how Severus could have served Voldemort for so long without losing his temper. Soon enough she saw as he stopped in his tracks. Looking around she realized that they had reached a less dense area of the forest. It looked like a long-abandoned camping site. Looking around Sofia saw tall trees which looked like they could reach the clouds. The area was almost perfectly round, dense trees shielding it from anyone's view. She waited as Severus squinted his eyes. She watched him as he took out his wand. With his arm outstretched Severus scanned the surrounding trees, stopping at a familiar one. Whispering something and carefully moving his wand the tree began to gently lean to one side. Soon enough the trees behind that one did the same thing. Sofia watched as the trees split, revealing another trail. Sofia followed Severus as he went deeper into the woods following an even narrower trail. After a few more minutes Sofia spotted a small wooden house which looked completely abandoned. She watched as Severus once more whispered a spell. The door of the house squeaked open on its own. Coming up the torn down porch he stopped. Turning around he leaned closer to Sofia speaking in almost whisper. "Not every Death Eater has been captured. Therefore be quiet. I will check if there is anyone inside. Afterwards, I will thoroughly search the first floor whilst you do the same on the second." Without giving Sofia time to reply he entered the small house. After a few minutes of waiting, Sofia heard his raspy voice call for her. She was suddenly welcomed by darkness. The house looked like it was barely standing. Holes covered every single wall, furniture turned upside down. As she stepped onto the staircase she felt the loud creaks of the floorboards. Reaching the second floor she saw some disgusting yellow wallpaper peeling off the walls. Carefully walking down the hallway she noticed three doors. She decided to start from the one furthest away. Walking down the narrow hallway she felt one of the floorboards brake under her with a loud crack, her foot falling through. Cursing she aggressively pulled at her leg. "Sofia?" She heard Severus voice from below. 

"I'm fine!" She spoke back. As she made it to the first door she pulled it open. Inside she saw what looked like a library. Many of the books were destroyed, sprawled around by her feet on the ground. The green wallpaper seemed to be in an even worse state than the one in the hallway. One of the bookshelves laid on the floor completely toppled over. She noticed endless spiderwebs hanging from the ceiling and lamps. The window offered her little to no light from the outside. She could feel a shiver creep up her spine as she noticed a large leather chair facing the window. Slowly she walked over to the desk which was placed buy he chair. She began to turn the room inside out, sometimes being distracted by the noises which the house would make on its own. She looked through every bookshelf and lifted every floorboard. She found some old papers, letters and useless objects. Ignoring them she proceeded to search. Upon finding nothing, she moved over to the next room. As soon as she opened the door she felt another shiver. The room seemed to resemble an abandoned master bedroom. The sheets were gathered by the end of the bed as if someone had left in a hurry. Spiderwebs covered every inch of this room, a painting hung above the bed which was completely destroyed. Torn to pieces. She noticed that the window seemed barred, coming up to the window she looked down, the distance was enough for someone to easily escape, _if they had to_. Ignoring the metal bars, she looked through the desk and wardrobe. Upon finding nothing but some old clothes and a few rats she began to feel discouraged. Knowing full well that she eventually had to look under the bed, she could feel disgusted in her throat as she imagined herself laying over the floor. Gulping, she bent over meeting the dirty ground with her torso. Squinting and lightly sneezing from the dust she found nothing. dismayed, she dusted off her clothes as she got up to leave the room. The last room looked like had belonged to a child. A young girl perhaps? She saw some dirty toys laying on the floor, a destroyed rabbit which was missing an ear and a few dolls. She proceeded to search the small bed and wardrobe. She found a small blue dress which had dirty white lace at the sleeves and hem, hanging in the wardrobe as if untouched. After seeing another rat run across her foot she sighed as she walked over to the small toy chest. Looking through the chest and every hole in the wall she was disappointed once more. She saw a small wind up ballerina jewellery box, laying in the corner of the room. Curiosity taking over the best of her she walked over to it. Winding up the box with a few twists she saw as the ballerina begun to turn to a soft melody. She smiled wondering what the child who it belonged to was like. As the music stopped the room was once more filled with an eerie silence. 

"Did you find it?" Severus' voice made Sofia jump a little as it interrupted her daze. Placing the Balerina down she turned towards him, her hand softly placed on her chest feeling her heart beating out of her ribcage. Shaking her head she watched as Severus let out a loud sigh. She could see that his demeanour had changed since they walked in. His face was completely emotionless, but his eyes seemed darker than before. He gestured for her to follow him. She watched as Severus angrily walked down the creaking staircase. She could feel the tension between them increase. Silently she followed Severus through the woods. Sofia found it incredibly hard to follow his quick long strides, especially with the dull pain in her foot. Failing to catch up with him multiple times she grunted. 

"Severus wait!" She called out to him. However, he didn't seem to stop. Annoyed, Sofia picked up her pace finally catching up to him. Grasping at his sleeve she spoke again. "Severus you-"

"Let. go. Sofia." She heard him grit through his teeth. Pulling his arm away from her he continued to stride down the path. Sofia flinched at his voice. She now found herself a few metres behind him. She decided against asking him what was on his mind. Silently, Sofia proceeded to follow him down the path. After 30 minutes of following him, she noticed as the forest was beginning to become less dense. Soon enough they had made it out. Severus proceeded to walk a few steps ahead of her as she followed, the pain in her foot was beginning to become unbearable. As they made it to the road she caught up with him. Catching a glimpse of his face she noticed that he looked paler than usual. His eyes narrowed, jaw clenched tightly. As they crossed the road, Sofia once more fell behind him. Making her way inside the Inn, Sofia followed him up the staircase he showed no signs of slowing down. Just as they made it to the second floor Sofia reached out her arm towards him trying to catch her breath. 

"Severus." Sofia breathed. She watched as the door to his room aggressively slammed in her face with a loud bang. Feeling the rush of air hit her face Sofia stood there. Inches away from the door. Confused she continued to stare at the wooden carvings on the door. After a few seconds, she turned around slowly walking towards her own room. As she hastily opened her door she made her way to the bed closest to the window. Sitting down she wondered what could have possibly made Severus so angry. Leaning back on her arms she furrowed her eyebrows. _Surely he could have handled this better_ , she thought. Bending over she looked down at her ankle. As she took off her shoe she saw just how swollen her ankle was. Gently pressing down on it she winced in pain. Taking out her wind she tried a few spells but nothing seemed to ease the dull pain. Falling back on her bed she ran her hands through her hair. She couldn't help but think of how she could help Severus, or if she should even try. It's not like he looked like he needed any help let alone another conversation which would either end up with him sending her away or kissing her and then pretending it never happened. Momentarily forgetting about her injured ankle she proceeded to stare at the stained ceiling wondering what her next move should be. 


	23. Midnight Conversations

Sofia spent a few hours sitting on her bed by the window, reading. She would sometimes glance outside to enjoy the view of the field and forest in the distance between chapters. As her eyes began to struggle to read the words on the pages, she realized that the sun was almost completely gone. A bright orange hue filled her room. Getting up she felt a shiver on her back. Looking down she noticed that she had forgotten to light the fire. After lighting it, she decided to let the room warm-up whilst grabbing some dinner downstairs. To her surprise, she only saw one other customer eating. Sitting down at the bar she noticed the same woman who greeted her at the door when she arrived. 

"Hi there. Would you like anything?" 

"Yes, please-" Sofia asked for something small on the menu and a cider. 

"The food will be ready in a bit. Here's your cider for now." Sofia shot a quick smile as she took a sip. She stared at the bottles behind the bar, fondly remembering her days as a barmaid. Smiling to herself she continued to drink.

"Do you own this Inn?" She asked the woman, as she noticed she was beginning to look quite bored. 

"Yes! My father owned it before me. Got passed down quite a long time ago. It's a beautiful little place. The sad thing is not many people come, but I'm always happy to see a new face. Oh gosh, forgive me I'm rambling-"

"Don't apologize!" Sofia chuckled. "It's nice to finally have a normal conversation with someone..." The woman smiled warmly at her. 

"Mr Snape doesn't seem like much of a talker I'm assuming." 

"Not even a little bit." Sofia smiled sheepishly. 

"What do you do...Sofia, is it?" The woman spoke tilting her head to the side as she proceeded to wipe down the bar. 

"Yes. I never caught your name by the way?" 

"It's Blair, darling." The woman smiled warmly, as Sofia nodded at her. 

"Well Blair, I'm currently a teacher at a school. I love my job. Truly. But before, I was a barmaid in London for a very long time. And sometimes I miss it quite a bit." Sofie winked at her. 

"Really? That is so interesting. I'm assuming it was quite hard to be a barmaid in London as such a young and beautiful woman." Sofia blushed. "Especially with all the men...god." Blair seemed to widen her eyes looking up. 

"It wasn't quite as bad as you'd expect. But there were a few instances-" Sofia proceeded to tell Blair all about her busy life in London. After Blair brought out her food, they continued to chat nonchalantly. Soon enough the two of them were sitting across from each other, both drinking and laughing as they told each other different ridiculous stories. 

"What are you drinking?" Sofia asked Blair referring to the wine she poured herself. 

"House wine. We make it here. Would you like a bottle? We have tonnes in the back. It's not the best but it does the trick." Blair winked at her. Sofia nodded reaching for her coin purse. She handed over some money before examining the bottle as Blair continued to talk about her life at the Inn. Sofia was happy. Genuinely happy. She was happy to talk to someone who wasn't a colleague at Hogwarts in one way or another. Even though Blair was maybe a decade older than her, she enjoyed her warm company. Sofia noticed as the only other customer walked upstairs. Sighing she figured she should also head to bed. Bidding Blair a goodnight she made her way upstairs. As she walked into her room she was welcomed by the warmth of the fire. Placing the bottle on her side table, she began to change into her pyjamas. The small fireplace was not enough to keep her warm through the night. She was glad to have an extra sweater and some lightweight silk trousers which were comfortable enough to sleep in. Deciding to read a little more she tried to lay down on her bed. Suddenly she felt the familiar dull pain in her ankle as she lifted her foot. Wincing in pain she huffed. She tried a few more spells but nothing seemed to work. Deciding that she should just go to bed and hope for it to get better in the morning she turned off the lights. As soon as she no longer had anything to distract her, her mind seemed to quickly remind her of Severus. She wondered about how he must currently be doing, still unsure as to what was the reason for his foul attitude. Turning around in her bed and pulling the covers over her she shut her eyes. After a few moments of failed attempts at sleep, she turned around once more feeling uneasy. Groaning she stood up, rubbing her face. She had to know what he was doing. More importantly _how his mind was doing_. Getting up she didn't bother to change or put shoes on as she walked over to her door. Grabbing the key to her room she stepped out into the hallway, her feet lightly padding on the wooden floor. As she walked across she hesitated for a second before knocking. 

"Yes?" She heard his voice. 

"It's me." For a second she didn't hear anything else. All at once, she heard movement behind the door. Hearing it softly unlock she saw him. Severus looked tired. His eyes reminded her of the day he had mismarked all the exams. He was dressed in sleep trousers and a shirt, holding a book in his hand. His black shirt was barely buttoned, she couldn't stop her eyes from scanning his torso before she looked up at his tired eyes again. "Did I wake you?" Her voice flat.

"I was reading." Staring at her in the hallway barefoot, his eyes did the same thing. He looked at her collarbone, eyes tracing over her naked shoulder which was revealed by the oversized sweater. "Is there anything you need?" He spoke again, his monotone voice almost sent Sofia back to her room.

"Nothing in particular." She wanted to talk to him. But she had no idea how. She was simply hoping that he would ask her to come in. As Severus gathered what she wanted, he stepped back allowing for her to enter. Sofia quickly walked inside his room. Without saying anything, Severus laid on his bed, sitting upright, leaning on the headboard. Sofia quietly walked over to the chair which was by the fire. She watched as he proceeded to read. _What am I meant to do now?_ She thought. Gently running her hands over the armrests of the chair she watched the fire dance. Both of them silent. 

"What are you reading?" She asked without looking at him. 

"A book." Sofia almost felt a smile creep up on her face. Turning to face him, she was surprised to catch him already looking at her with an exhausted expression. She proceeded to stare at him trying to figure out what to say. "Is something wrong Sofia?" 

"I should be asking you that, don't you think?" She chirped back. She watched as he groaned. 

"Are you here because I might have offended you with my _harsh_ attitude earlier?" He spoke sarcastically. Sofia pursed her lips as if judging him. 

"No. I just wanted to find out what happened." 

"Nothing happened."

"Obviously something did. You were fine before we entered that house. And then your attitude completely changed."

"And what is it to you, if I may ask?" He was beginning to get angry. Sofia paused not sure what to say. 

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay, that's all." She couldn't stop herself from letting those words spill out of her mouth. His expression quickly softened. Shutting his book he sighed. 

"That house. It's dark." Sofia cautiously listened, shifting her body towards his direction as he continued to speak. "I'm sure you noticed that the house belonged to a family once." Sofia nodded. "Well. When some of the Death Eaters which discovered the house it seemed like the perfect location for them." Severus visibly stiffened. "They raided the families home. Killing the father and the young daughter." Severus clenched his jaw. Visibly holding something back, as Sofia tensed in her seat. "The bars on the windows... were for the young wife. They kept her." Sofia knew well as to what he meant. Her eyes quickly paled as she realized what that room was used for during its final days. She felt disgusted. Dread taking over her body. She could see how hard it was for Severus to speak however she couldn't stop herself from asking more. 

"Were you there when it happened?" She watched as Severus looked up at her. His eyes full of guilt. 

"I was there on the first day. When they murdered the father and daughter." He clenched his jaw once more, his knuckles becoming white. He was no longer leaning on the headboard. His body had shifted to the edge of the bed, feet touching the wooden floor. Chin resting on his tightly clenched hands. He seemed to be looking out the window, as his eyes darkened. Sofia felt a ping in her chest from seeing him like this, realizing what he must be thinking.

"There was nothing you could do. If you were to stop them Voldemort would doubt your allegiance." She softly spoke leaning to one side of the chair. She watched as Severus let out a slow _hum_ in response. "Is that something they did often? Regarding the wife I mean." Sofia wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer. 

"Yes. They ware merciless. She wasn't the only woman who had to experience that." His low voice lowly responded. Sofia leaned back in her chair. Disgust visible on her face. She stared at Severus afraid to ask what was currently on her mind. As if reading her mind he shot her a warning look. "I know what you are thinking. No. I never partook in any of that. Not once." Sofia felt guilty for even thinking it, uncomfortably shifting in her place. 

"I'm sorry you had to go through that." She whispered. 

"Nothing will change their fate now I'm afraid." Somehow exposing that information out into the open eased the tension in his body. Straightening his back he released a tense breath. Sofia once more noticed deep circles under his eyes.

"Have you been sleeping?" She questioned trying to change the topic.

"If you must know, no, I have not." Sofia had to refrain herself from rolling her eyes. Severus paused before continuing. "I keep hearing the screams of the daughter." He almost whispered, hoping Sofia wouldn't hear him. As Sofia deeply inhaled she promptly got up from her chair as Severus glanced at her. 

"You are _definitely_ in need of a drink. I'll be right back." She swiftly walked out the door making sure for Severus not to notice her slight limp. Severus waited for her at the edge of his bed. There was no reason for him to say no to her. _A drink wouldn't be the worst_ , he thought. Quickly, Sofia walked back with the bottle wine Blair had given to her earlier. She had conjured two glasses in her room and brought them into Severus'. Pulling the cork open she poured a large glass for Severus and herself. Walking over to him she handed him his glass, sitting back on her chair by the fire. Severus proceeded to take a large sip of wine.

"Let's talk about something else." she smiled at him from the chair as he nodded faintly. "I know all about what you're like as a Hogwarts teacher-" She raised an eyebrow. "-but what were you like as a Hogwarts student?" Severus almost spat his wine back into his glass. 

"You sure know how to ask difficult questions." He let out a low chuckle. That hoarse deep chuckle which made Sofia shiver. 

"It couldn't have been that bad." She mused. 

Severus rolled his eyes. "You wouldn't know. From what I can remember you had a _fantastic_ time in school." 

"You sure know how to divert questions as far away as possible from yourself, Severus." She mocked him. "But no. I hated every second." She laughed taking another sip of her wine. 

"Amuse me Sofia." he smiled. 

"Well, besides the fact that I had to catch up 5 years of school in the span of a second, and my Head of House was _oh so wonderful_ -" He chuckled again at her sharpness. "My personal life was utter shit." She cursed. Severus quickly analyzed her expression to see if he could ask her to expand. He noticed as her features were softly lit up by the fire. She seemed unbothered. 

"Tell me more." He spoke licking the wine from his lips, leaning back on the bedframe once more. 

"My father was a famous Death Eater. Some of the students found that amusing however most tortured me for it every day. Some would be terrified of me, even just speaking to me. Some would play horrible pranks. Some would simply curse at me every time they had the chance. Overall it was fantastic." 

"I was never aware of that. Why didn't you speak to someone about it?" Sofia sneered. 

"Come on. There was nothing anyone could have done. Besides it always helped that I had thick skin. I was never bothered really, except when it got really personal. Got into a few minor fights, but that was about it." She shrugged. Severus was impressed at how easily she talked about this. He was fascinated by her ability to take insults and criticism so well. 

"And you don't hold any grudges? None at all?" He contemplated. Referring more to himself now rather than her, remembering how he was treated in school. 

"Oh, Merlin no. Children are cruel Severus. So cruel. But most of the time they don't even realize what they're saying. I figured you would know that by now, seeing as you've been a professor for over 100 years." She laughed winking at him. Severus smirked at her snide comment, acknowledging her clever point. They both continued to drink, chatting about a vast array of things. At one point they even argued about the brewing instructions of a certain potion. Both of them felt a certain _Deja Vu_ as if reliving the night they had first shared wine together. Sofia was trying to get more comfortable in her chair, she tried to bring her second knee up to her chest to lean over, she forgot about her ankle. In a second she felt a sharp pain shoot through her leg. She couldn't hide the feeling as she winced grabbing at her foot. Severus jerked his head towards her following her movements. 

"What did you do?" He asked her in an accusatory manner. 

"Nothing. When I tripped in the woods yesterday I think I twisted my ankle. It's not a big deal. I'm sure it'll be fine soon enough." She fussed hoping Severus would drop it. Severus placed his empty glass on the bedside table which separated the two single beds and gestured for her to come closer, as he once more sat at the edge. Sofia casually got up, suddenly feeling the light effect of the wine. Walking over to the other bed she sat down across from him, rolling up the trousers to her knee, she showed him her swollen ankle. Severus shot her a judgemental. Both of them stayed silent. He couldn't help himself as his eyes lazily trailed up her leg. Leaning over, he carefully lifted up her leg placing it between his knees on the edge of his bed. Reaching over to his wand he dragged it over her ankle. Sofia felt the pain slowly ease out of her body, watching as the swelling quickly went down. Severus placed his hands on her ankle to check if it was fully back to normal. Sofia shivered at his touch, Severus seemed to notice her reaction. Without thinking he softly caressed her leg with his fingers moving upwards to her knee. Sofia felt warmth in her lower abdomen at the touch of his hands. Severus slowly continued to caress her slender leg. As his hands made their way to the back of her calf, Sofia's eyes shut without her realizing. Her head slowly falling back in pleasure. Severus was well aware of the apparent effect he had on her. He felt a sudden urge inside of him to proceed to make Sofia feel as she did right now. Her responsiveness to his touch was intoxicating to him. Leaning down his lips slowly met with Sofia's leg. Gently he kissed her leg, slowly trailing upwards to her knee. He heard as Sofia released a quiet unexpected moan. His dark eyes watched her mouth gape slightly open as her head gently tilted further and further back. He continued for a second longer, enjoying her expression. Gently pressing one last kiss on her leg he placed it back on the ground. Watching as her eyes shot open, making contact with his.  
  
"Tell me more about your life back in London." The familiar silky voice made Sofia crave his lips on her skin once more. Alas, she watched as he sat back, leaning on the headboard with his feet on the bed. Stabilizing herself she threw her legs up on the bed, leaning on her elbow. She proceeded to tell him all the stories of the insane customers she had. Often hearing him laugh or ask her more endless questions. After a while, Sofia noticed as his body slowly begun to sink into the bed. They continued to talk, Sofia mostly telling him interesting stories of her muggle life in a hushed tone. Suddenly Sofia heard his breathing soften. Looking over at him she noticed that he was completely asleep. Whether it was due to the wine or her voice she didn't know. Smiling to herself she looked over at the door. Gathering that she was too lazy to walk back to her room she turned off the small lamp on the bedside table and crawled into the single bed. She watched him for a second. Wondering what it would feel like to lay in bed by his side.


	24. 1920

Sofia squinted as she felt the sun in her eyes. Looking at the clock she noticed that it was only seven in the morning. For a second she was about to fall back asleep before she quickly realized where she was. Looking over to the side she saw Severus in the other bed fast asleep. Sofia couldn't imagine a situation in which Severus finding her in his room in the morning wouldn't be awkward. Excruciatingly slowly she moved her feet towards the floor, praying for the floorboards not to creak. She listened closely to his breathing, making sure to not wake him. Tiptoeing, she finally made it to the door. She paused analyzing how the hell she would manage to open the door without making any noise. Biting the bullet, she carefully twisted the doorknob. Her movements were interrupted by the sound of Severus shifting in his bed. Sofia paled as she froze in her movements. Looking back she was relieved to find that he was still sound asleep. Finally making it to the hallway she exhaled the breath she was holding as she made it to her room. Falling on her bed she decided to sleep for a little longer before they would probably have to head back to Hogwarts. At around 10 am, she heard a knock on her door.

"Yes?" She called out, half asleep.

"We are leaving in half an hour. Don't be late." She heard Severus' dull voice from behind the door. Rolling her eyes she let her head fall back on the pillow. Feeling conflicted about the man behind that door she sat up for a second. She couldn't understand what it was he wanted. Obviously, she knew that he wanted _her_ in one way or another. But every day it seemed as if he was either constantly holding himself back or toying with her. She remembered his words when he told her he simply _didn't know what to do_. Now that she understood the vast impact of her father and the apparent threat she seemed to empathise with him a little. However, she still believed that if he wanted her, truly, she would have known it by now, instead of feeling like this. She was never one to play games. Especially ones that require going back and forth with a person. Therefore, she was becoming increasingly impatient with his antics. Gathering herself, she quickly showered and put on a fresh set of clothes. Letting her blonde hair down, and grabbing her black purse she walked out of the room. She saw Severus standing patiently by the bar, once more reading a newspaper. As he saw her come downstairs, he nodded at her acknowledging her presence. Waving a warm goodbye to Blair they made their way outside. This time instead of walking towards the road, Severus led her behind the building into a dark corner. Making sure that no one was around, he offered his arm to her as they prepared to apparate.

Back at Hogwarts, Sofia was mostly excited to see Remus. She wasn't sure what she would say to him. She didn't know how much she could say regarding her father. But what she knew for sure is that she could maybe openly talk about Severus with him. For a moment she felt quite childish discussing these things with him. _But aren't we all children at heart?_ After she freshened up, she made her way to his office.

"Ah. Look who it is. What was it, Sarah? Samantha? Maybe Stella..." Remus pretended to look up to the ceiling as if thinking.

"Come off it Remus. I didn't neglect you for a century."

"You're right, you're right." He laughed. " How is everything?" Sitting down on his couch Sofia poured herself a cup of tea.

"Same old." Remus raised his eyebrows at her response. "Okay, maybe not completely same old but nothing major." She laughed uncomfortably.

"Tell me." Remus smiled. Sofia sighed as she filed him in on everything that happened between Severus and her. She was careful to avoid any details regarding the search or the threat. Making sure to leave some white lies here and there. After catching him up with all the dirty details he spoke.

"Really? That old git? Sof..." He shook his head.

"I did not come here to be judged, Remus." Sofia spoke sternly. She watched as he mouthed a _sorry_ before continuing.

"You know where I always stand on these things. Whatever makes you truly happy." He sighed.

"Yes, but do you think I'm simply being toyed with?"

"Frankly, I doubt he has the capacity or skill to _toy_ anyone-" Remus cringed at the word.

"Remus!" Sofia chuckled.

"I'm kidding!... But no. I don't think so. Don't believe he has the time. Or the energy to string you along for no reason. I'm unaware of the last time he showed any, even minimal, interest in anyone." Remus pondered on his own words. "I can see the gears painfully turning in your head Sof. What is it?"

"I'm not sure..." She gently spoke biting the inside of her cheek. "He always avoids speaking about himself. But asks endless questions about me...When we do get to talk I mean."

"A woman's dream I presume." Remus chirped in as Sofia playfully rolled her eyes at him. "I don't blame him. After everything he's been through, no matter how much I dislike the man, he needs time." Severus squinted his eyes. "Merlin, I can't believe I'm condoning this..."

"Hmm."

"He wouldn't have done what he did on the train back from Azkaban if he didn't care even a little. And you know that." Remus continued, as Sofia nodded at him. "What was it like seeing the infamous William Greene?" Remus tilted his head to the side.

"Scary. To be honest. The whole experience was...strange. He's not himself. I don't know what happened to him, or who did that to him, but it was almost like speaking to a wall. A very loud wall for that." Sofia pursed her lips before taking another sip of tea.

"I'm truly sorry." Remus added.

"Don't be." Sofia spoke shaking her head. "Anyways tell me more! How is everything? How was Christmas?" Sofia had successfully changed the topic. Remus told her all about the Christmas dinner him Tonks and Teddy had. He told her all about how fast Teddy was going up, as he was now almost 5. He showed her some pictures from Christmas before coming up to Sofia on the couch.

"I have a surprise Sof." Remus beamed at her. Sofia smiled widely as she watched him. "Tonks is pregnant." He quickly spoke.

"Oh, Merlin Remus! That's incredible!" She jumped up to embrace him as he laughed. "And here I am, going on about thing's that are so, so trivial! Congratulations! Make sure to tell Tonks how happy I am for you two!" After they had discussed all the details of the holidays and how excited Remus was to be expanding his family, Sofia decided that it was time for her to leave Remus, as he seemed to be working on something before she came in. She decided to do the same. She still needed to prepare for Monday's core class which she was teaching alone. Although she still had to help Severus assist some classes throughout the week. Nonetheless, she was determined to take over a great majority of the Potions core classes throughout the next term.

* * *

Monday morning, Sofia demonstrated the _Strengthening Solution_. She was proud to see that all the students had successfully brewed it. Being on a certain teaching high she was looking forwards to the next class. Even though she loved teaching and demonstrating she also loved assisting. Mostly because she still got to interact with all the students and help them, however, the heavier duties were up to Severus. As she took her place on the teacher's long table for lunch she saw Minerva.

"I haven't seen you in ages dear!" Minerva smiled giving her a quick hug. "The dungeons keeping you busy?"

"Yes, they really are." _If only she knew_ Sofia thought. Before they could continue their small conversation Severus sat down by her side in his usual place. As they began eating, Hagrid proceeded to tell her all about the last creature he caught. She made plans with him to come to see it during the week. As they continued talking she heard a sharp sound of something dropping on the floor. Glancing to her side she noticed as Severus had seemingly dropped his fork. Grunting she felt him lean over to pick it up. Almost oblivious to his action Sofia continued to innocently talk to Hagrid. Suddenly she felt Severus' hand grip at her thigh. Her breath hitched in her throat as Hagrid proceeded to tell her the details of what exact raw meat he uses to feed the animal. Sofia quickly glanced down making sure for Hagrid not to notice, she saw Severus bent over picking up the fork, as his hand rested on her leg. As he straightened himself, he gently squeezed her thigh before taking his hand off her and continuing to eat. Pretending not to notice any of this Sofia continued to listen to Hagrid, feeling a familiar shiver.

* * *

As Sofia welcomed in the students, she took her place by the teacher's desk where Severus was already seated. After the students had settled down Severus spoke in a menacing tone.

"Today you will be brewing a _Wound Healing_ potion." He spoke sternly from behind the desk. "Turn to page 453, and familiarize yourselves with the instructions." All the children quickly opened their books and began to read. Getting up from behind the desk, Severus walked over to Sofia with a small piece of parchment. "Gather all of these ingredients and place them on three trays. I will come to take them from the storeroom after I finish the demonstration." Nodding she took the list out of his hand, feeling his fingers gently caress hers at the exchange.

Making her way over to the storeroom she began gathering the ingredients. After about 15 minutes she had gathered almost everything on each tray except the last one. Grunting, she knew it was on the top shelf. Carefully climbing up to the top of the ladder she reached out her arm searching for the last vial. She could barely see the back of the shelf let alone reach it. Carefully she continued to lean over forwards, one hand grasping at the shelf as the other stretched out to the back of the storeroom once more. As Severus was done with the demonstration he swiftly made his way to the storeroom to pick up the trays. Sofia didn't hear him come in as she continued to curse under her breath trying to reach for the last vial. As Severus saw her he stopped in his tracks. His eyes were focused on Sofia's black a-line skirt, which was now hiked up almost a little too high. Her slender legs outstretched for miles as she continued to curse, huffing at herself in despair. Seeing her like that drove him mad. He couldn't resist himself as he came up to her from the back of the room, moving closer towards the ladder. Placing his fingertips at the bottom of her leg he trailed up as far as he could reach. Sofia flinched, knocking over some of the vials. She turned quickly to see who it was, upon spotting Severus she relaxed a little.

"Merlin, you scared me." She smiled sheepishly. Her eyes were met with Severus' dark ones. She watched as his eyes greedily scanned over her long legs which were covered by some sheer black tights. Sofia slowly made her way down the ladder as he gazed over her figure. As she met the ground she stopped for a second, her hands still holding on to the ladder. Before she could conjure up a coherent thought she felt his arms grab her by the shoulders and turn her towards him. Within an instant, she felt his warm lips on hers. The kiss was rough and quick. His arms quickly pulling her into him as her palms found their way to his torso, gently caressing his body.

"Professor!" they both heard from the classroom. Both of them quickly pulled away. Sofia almost aggressively stepped back as Severus rushed out of the room, the last thing she saw was the quick flare of his long frock as he turned the corner. Once more she found herself feeling hot. Hot and Bothered. Smirking to herself she thought of how this strangely alluded to the 1920's Prohibition. Her being the whiskey, him being completely parched, craving even just a drop of alcohol in his blood. She climbed up the ladder once more finally reaching for the vial which luckily got knocked over and rolled a little closer to the edge of the shelf. Carefully remembering all the skills she had gained from her earlier days waitressing, she picked up the three trays walking back to the classroom. Mostly focusing on controlling her deep breaths. As she walked into the classroom she saw him leaning over a student angrily muttering something to them. Walking past him, she placed the trays on the teacher's desk, quickly dividing the ingredients per cauldron. As she paced around the classroom handing out the vials, she could feel Severus' eyes hungrily follow her. This in no way cleared up any of the worries she had of him being inconsistent with what he wanted, however, it sure felt grand. By the time the class had finished both Sofia and Severus proceeded to clean the room in silence. After the last student had left Sofia felt Severus approach her. Sofia was scrubbing the table as she felt his slender hand on the small of her back.

"I have spoken to Albus. The next search will take place this weekend. I will be leaving with you after class, therefore, don't worry yourself too much with the _coordinates_." Rolling her eyes at his mockery Sofia continued to scrub the table. Feeling his warm hand leave her body, they continued to clean in silence. After everything was finished Sofia decided to make her way to her quarters before dinner. As Severus turned off the lights they both walked towards the door. Opening it, they saw a single student-run up the staircase out of the dungeons, seemingly leaving the Slytherin common room. Before Sofia could make it to the elf door she heard his deep voice murmur something.

"Sofia."

"Hm?" She hummed turning around. Quickly, Severus placed his hand on her face giving her a quick kiss on the lips, lingering for just a few seconds before letting go and disappearing into the dark hallways of the dungeons. Sofia felt a pleasant familiar rush. Which probably simply resulted in the apparent fear of being caught by someone.


	25. Isle of Arran

During the week Sofia proceeded to teach. She had now covered almost every single core class, ranging from 1st years to 5th years. Severus was still hesitant on allowing her to lead the 6th and 7th-year ones. Although for now, those were enough to satisfy her. Throughout the four years, she spent as an assistant of various subjects she never got the chance to teach fully on her own. Especially when she helped out Hagrid. Hagrid's classes always seemed to get a little out of control, Sofia would consistently find herself in the 'boring' or 'mature' role making the students think she was overcautious. Funny thing was, that even though the students and sometimes teachers called her _Professor_ , she never truly believed she earned that title. Thankfully none of the children ever called her _Madam_ , as that always made her feel extremely _outdated_. Two years ago a 1st-year student accidentally called her _Professor_ instead of _Ms_ and it seemed to latch on which for a while made her a little uncomfortable... as if she was undermining the other teacher's accomplishments. Minerva finally explained to her that only 3 years of teaching were required before a teacher automatically becomes a professor. Initially, when she agreed to the potions assistant role, she assumed that Severus would never let her lead a class without constant judgement. However, to her surprise, she had advanced the most within her academic career under his watch.

* * *

On Thursday Sofia was happy to visit Hagrid after class as he introduced her to his new beast. She spent the evening with him, mostly playing cards and drinking tea. She caught up Hagrid on everything that was now happening in her life, which resulted in a few _oh's_ and ah's from him, and some looks of disbelief. But eventually, he came around. She had clearly missed spending time with him. With her mind being filled to the brim with thoughts of Severus and the seemingly pointless wristwatch searches, she realized that she found herself slowly distancing from Hagrid. Although he didn't seem to be upset, she could notice that he missed her company.

On Friday Sofia had to teach two lessons in the morning and one core class after lunch before leaving the grounds with Severus to an unknown location. Severus didn't show himself in the Great Hall that morning but Sofia was too distracted with teaching to do anything about it. For all she knew he was simply sleeping in. After lunch, the students were brewing their own _Befuddlement Draught._ Sofia was insanely nervous as she knew the effects which that potion carried. Usually, it would make the drinker become completely reckless. Sofia could only imagine the consequences of what would happen in a room full of glass jars, dangerous ingredients and endless valuable vials of powders if someone were to become even a little careless. Softly leaning on the teacher's desk she watched the students with angst. As soon as she relaxed a little promptly turned away, she heard a girl squeal. Quickly scanning the room she saw a girl looking completely panicked over her cauldron. The girl's squeal was followed by another, and then another until all the children seemed to become startled, hastily stepping away from one cauldron. Huffing, Sofia walked over to the cauldron, looking in she saw as the black mass inside was quickly expanding, the mass seemed to be... _breathing_? Everyone watched as the mass started to move, as if alive. The mass began to climb out of the cauldron, painfully slowly making its way onto the ground as Sofia heard a few more screams. Quickly she took out her wand. Meanwhile, Severus worked in his office as he suddenly heard multiple screams come from the classroom. Annoyed, he got up from his chair and firmly pushed the door open. Sofia was too busy watching the mass to notice Severus walk in. She only realized that he was there as she heard all the children suddenly gasp, and become pale. Looking up she saw him.

"What is going on in here?" He barked as all the students froze. Severus angrily marched over to Sofia who was busy trying to levitate the mass back into the cauldron. After she had managed, she waved her hand. As the mass stopped moving, she placed her wand on the desk exhaling a tense breath. Turning around she found Severus looking over her shoulder. She watched as he turned towards the girl who was closest to Sofia. Everyone in the room was aware of what would happen next; Severus was about to unleash his wrath on the poor girl. Sofia froze as she remembered all the times she had witnessed his anger during her school years. In an attempt to protect the girl she glared at Severus, who didn't seem to notice. Time stood still as Severus glanced between the cauldron and the girl. "Ms Crowly." He dryly spoke as the girl harshly swallowed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Next time, make sure to pay close attention to the measurements of _Scurvy Grass_ before adding it." Everyone watched as Severus sternly watched the girl, waiting for points to be deducted. "Everyone, back to your stations. Now." No one seemed to move. Everyone was surprised at his calm demeanour, especially Sofia. As he walked back to his office, Sofia dusted off her robes proceeding to speak.

"You heard Professor Snape, what's the holdup?" She smiled as the students seemed to ease, all of them returning to their potions. After the lesson was over, Sofia was finally ready to leave the grounds. Changing from her robes into a simple black coat, black turtleneck and some black jeans, she made her way over to Severus' office. His door was opened as she walked in, watching as he attentively read something. "Someone is feeling extremely merciful today, I see?" She smirked at him, leaning on the door frame.

"I have no idea what you seem to be referring to..." He trailed off, closing the book to look up at her.

"The girl. I was expecting you to deduct points." Sofia smiled.

"Would you like me to get her and do that instead?" He spoke slowly, almost menacingly with a smirk.

"Oh, no! Please don't. She's an absolutely lovely student." Sofia gushed, knowing full well he wouldn't dare. No one knew if the sudden improvement in Severus' mood was due to the lack of stress from not having to teach as much, or Sofia. But Sofia chose to believe that just a little bit of that improvement had something to do with her.

"Shall we?" He questioned as she nodded. The two, headed off the castle grounds making their way towards a secluded area so no one would notice them apparating.

"Where are we going?" Sofia asked.

"An island." Was all Severus uttered before offering his arm to her as they disappeared.

Sofia looked around as she saw massive brown mountains, surrounded by neverending fields of green, with a little snow here and there. Turning around she saw the open sea. The beautiful blue water and adorable little houses. The wind was coursing through her hair as she smiled. Pulling her hair out of her face, she looked further out noticing the small town. They seemed to be on a hill, looking down towards another island. She noticed a thin layer of snow on the peaks of the mountains.

"It's beautiful." She whispered. Severus watched her as she moved closer to the edge, trying to catch a better look.

"Isle of Arran." He told her as he looked out to the sea. "We have to go, the sun is about to set. It will get much colder." Both of them walked down the hill, Sofia still taken back by the views. After they walked for a while, Sofia noticed an Inn. The Inn looked much larger than the one at Aberdeen. Before Severus walked in he turned to her. "There's a newspaper stand over there." He nudged his head to the side. "I'm going to go purchase one. Are you capable of getting us two rooms? Two nights only." Squinting her eyes Sofia scoffed at him.

"Yes. After being your assistant I think I can handle _that_." As Sofia walked inside, Severus gazed at her with a smirk. Inside Sofia saw an old man standing behind what looked like a concierge desk. "Good Evening. Is there a chance I could get two rooms for two nights?" She smiled at him.

"Good Evening. Of course, give me a second..." The man opened a drawer and started digging for the keys. Sofia patiently waited, admiring the Inn. It was more modern than the other. The walls were painted white with dark oak accents. "Apologies Ms, unfortunately, I only have one room available." Sofia paled, gawking at the man.

"Does it have two single beds?" She quickly chirped in.

"Yes, it does. I'll fetch two keys for you right away Ms." Sofia watched the man in terror as she imagined Severus' reaction to this. _Guess I can't handle the impossible_ , she thought. "Here you are, Ms, your room is on the third floor, last door on the left. We serve dinner at 8 pm. Enjoy your stay!" Sofia smiled at him as she gently took the keys. She heard the main door open as Severus walked in. She braced herself for the upcoming belittling she would receive.

"Everything alright?" He asked noticing her fumbling with the keys.

"Yes. Third floor." Sofia thought that the walk up would give her a little more time to think of how to break this information to him. As they reached the last floor Severus waited for her to guide him to the rooms. "The Inn only had one room available Severus." She quickly spoke. She waited for him to respond as he simply cocked his head to the side.

"I don't presume that would be an issue. Not like this would be the first time we've slept in the same room." Sofia stiffened. She was so sure she had successfully snuck out the last time. "What? You thought I wouldn't notice?" His deep voice echoed in the hallway. For whatever reason Sofia felt a little guilty. "Frankly, I didn't think our evening was so unpleasant that you felt the need to sneak out in the morning like some teenager..." He mused, softly smiling at her. Handing him a key, Sofia watched as he opened the door. Sofia's guilt quickly washed over as she saw the room. The walls were white, the floor dark wood, small paintings of boats hung on each wall, and a vintage map above the fireplace. The window across from her looked out to the sea. Brushing past Severus she walked up to the window looking out onto the beautiful water. Unknowingly Severus interrupted her trance. "Would you like to go into town with me before sundown?" He spoke nonchalantly. Sofia was about to agree before she realized how tired she felt. She knew her body well. If she was to walk endless miles around town she would be exhausted tomorrow. It did help that apparating always seemed to make her feel sick.

"I think I'll stay, Severus."

"As you wish." He spoke before closing the door behind him. Sofia fell on the soft bed closest to the window, smiling. During her time in London, she never had the finances to travel anywhere. For years her life consisted of her tiny apartment and a stuffy bar. Being this close to the sea instantly seemed to relax her. Sofia did what she did best, as she pulled out the thick Greek Mythology book from her purse, and her round glasses. After she took off her coat, she made herself comfortable on the floor leaning against the bed facing the fireplace. As she felt a chill on her body she lit the fireplace with her wand, opening her thick book, reading from where she had left off.

* * *

Without realizing Sofia had sat there for a good two hours. The sun was now down, as the sound of waves crashing against the beach echoed in the room. Completely immersed in the book Sofia didn't hear the door open. Walking in Severus held a bottle of wine. Placing the bottle on the small table by the door, Severus took his coat off hanging it on a small hook by the door. Taking off his shoes, he caught Sofia on the floor by the fire. Before interrupting her, he basked in the sweet image of her leaning over the book with her glasses softly placed on her face, her shoulder and collar bone once more exposed by the same wide neck sweater, silk trousers covering her long slender legs.

"Did you spend all this time reading?" As she finished reading the last sentence, she lifted her head up to Severus.

"Why am I hearing judgement in your voice? This is a fantastic book." She shook her head, running her hand over the worn-out light blue leather cover.

"What book is it?" He asked her. His lean body towering over her.

"It has practically every single story from Greek Mythology, every creature, every myth. My mother used to read it to me when I was little. She never finished it. She named me Sofia because she seemed to love Greece so much. I found it before moving to London. I've been reading it since."

"You are telling me you've been reading the same book for years?" He spoke in disbelief.

"Of course not. I never had the time in London. During the first few years of working at Hogwarts, I never got around to it either. I only picked it back up over the summer." Sofia glanced to the side noticing a bottle of wine placed on the table. "Are you trying to get me drunk Severus?" She joked.

"It only seemed fair since you bought the last one." Severus poured two glasses of wine, handing her one as she tossed the book on her bed. Stretching her legs she sipped the wine humming at the sweet taste. As Sofia watched him sit on his bed she grunted.

"Sit on the floor with me. It's warm." She smiled at him. She knew that her attempt was far fetched as she watched Severus grunt in displeasure. But to her surprise, he made his way over, placing himself a few feet away from her leaning on the other bed, one leg bent in the knee as the other outstretched towards the fire. 

"Happy?" he breathed as he made himself comfortable. Sofia nodded in return. The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Sofia decided to make an attempt at a conversation.

"Why potions?"

"Pardon?"

"Why did you decide to teach potions?" She asked again. Severus sighed sipping his wine.

"It was my best subject. I always enjoyed it. It made sense when Albus offered me the job." He spoke looking around the room as Sofia hummed in response. 

"You still haven't told me about your time at Hogwarts?" She pressed. She watched as Severus rolled his eyes. Expecting another one of his attempts to divert the conversation, Sofia was surprised to finally hear Severus speak. He started to tell her all about his days at school. From the hexes and spells, he created, to the teachers which he hated and loved. Sofia was shocked as she noticed that Severus was continuously speaking without a single pause. Looking into the fire, he told her every detail of the torture he had endured by the Marauders. He told her a little bit about Lily and a few other friends. He even told her about his first few years working at Hogwarts. Sofia proceeded to sip her wine as she listened intently. Eventually, he stopped, looking over at her as she watched him.

"Children truly are arseholes..." Sofia mused, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. She heard his deep laugh from the other side of the room. She was once more welcomed by the warm feeling in her body as he proceeded to laugh.

"That - is all you have gathered from everything that I've told you?" He watched her as she shrugged.

"I mean yes. I thought I had it bad!" She laughed again. Severus was glad that this was her reaction. The only thing he hated more than talking about his years at school was _pity_. He was glad that she was able to listen to him so closely, without pity or judgement. He took some time to admire her soft features as she watched the fire. Her small nose, pale eyes, and soft pink lips. Sofia pushed her glasses up to softly sit above her head, holding her hair back. "Aside from all that _horror_ , was there absolutely anything that brought you joy during that time?"

"What are you referring to?" He looked at her confused.

"Oh, I don't know...a hobby perhaps? I'm sure there must have been something else but brewing potions that excited you?" She chuckled. Severus glanced at the wall for a second thinking. "Ah. So there is something! Tell me." She spoke with excitement.

"There was nothing."

"You're lying. I can tell." She playfully pointed. "What is it? A secret talent? Did you juggle? Show me." She continued. Severus' mouth gaped open before laughing again.

"Merlin, no." He spoke sternly.

"Come on." Sofia nagged. Severus finally seemed to cave.

"Fine. I'll show you if you do the same."

"Excuse me?" she sat back.

Severus squinted his eyes at her. "If my memory doesn't deceive me, you joined the choir before you graduated. Am I wrong?" Sofia paled.

"Are you implying that you want me to sing? What is this, a joke?" She watched him as he softly shook his head.

"You are too curious and insistent to back down, we both know that. Either you sing something or you never find out my _secret talent_." he mocked her. Sofia paused for a second, biting her lip. He was right. She had to know one way or another. Sighing she obliged.

"Fine." she spoke flatly. Sitting up on the floor, she quickly looked up trying to remember a song. _The quicker I begin the quicker it will end_ , she thought. Thinking of something she straightened her back facing the fire. Slowly she began to sing...

_High in the halls of the kings who are gone_  
_Jenny would dance with her ghosts_  
_The ones she had lost and the ones she had found_  
_And the ones who had loved her the most_

_The ones who'd been gone for so very long_  
_She couldn't remember their names_  
_They spun her around on the damp old stones_  
_Spun away all her sorrow and pain_

Her soft voice was almost enchanting as it filled the room. Severus listened to her closely as he sunk deeper into her siren voice, feeling his eyes softly close. As she quickly finished he let out a deep breath. 

"That was beautiful." He almost whispered as his eyes opened, watching the fire. 

"Thank you. Your turn." She snapped back, eagerly waiting. Playfully rolling his eyes Severus reached for his coat. He pulled out a small ring-bound book and conjured up a pencil with his wand. Sofia watched him curiously as he opened what she believed was a sketchbook. Furrowing his eyebrows he began to draw something. "I don't think I've ever seen you do something with such care except for stirring-"

"If you keep talking, your eyes will never see this." He scolded. Smiling in defeat Sofia leaned back on the bed frame, bringing her legs up to her body as she sipped her wine. Watching as the fire danced, she could hear the quick sound of Severus' pencil strokes as his hand glided over the parchment. After a few moments, Severus stopped. Silence heavily hung in the room as Sofia waited, now impatiently. She heard the sharp sound of the parchment being ripped out from the notebook. Silently he handed it over to her.

Sofia was in awe. She carefully dragged her fingertips over the beautiful sketch. It was of her, sitting in front of the fire with a glass of wine, one leg pulled up to her body. She was in utter shock. She had never seen anyone do anything remotely like this. Nevermind the fact that she couldn't draw to save her life. Clutching the piece of parchment between her two hands, she continued to examine it. It was utterly beautiful, the accuracy of her features, especially her eyes. Her mouth gaped slightly open as she turned to Severus who was busy putting away the sketchbook.

"This is incredible." She mused. He acknowledged her compliment by softly blinking as he drank his wine. Sofia continued to stare at the drawing. Still in complete shock. Severus noticed her glass empty as he picked it up, getting up to pour more wine for the both of them. Sofia heard the soft noise of the rain outside as she placed the drawing in her book between some pages, making sure to keep it safe. Taking the wine glass from Severus she felt the need to ask him another question. "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did. But go on." He spoke softly.

"What happened that night?" Severus raised an eyebrow at her. "-the night after which I found you in your quarters passed out with firewhisky by the bed?" She clarified, watching as his expression changed. His jaw clenched as he placed the wine glass on the floor. Hesitantly Severus began to speak.

"I held detention with Tim. After I found out what the real reason was behind you sending him to me, I was angry." He simply spoke.

"Why?" Severus deeply inhaled at her question. Pausing for a moment before telling her about how he had once lost a dear friend to that same slur. From Severus' pained expression Sofia had gathered that he was talking about Lily. Unfortunately, she craved to know more. "Tell me about her." For the first time since Severus started talking, he looked at her, just as he was about to protest he saw her eyes. The same eyes that he had been longing for, for the past few months. Against better judgement, he told her, everything. Lily and him growing up together, his infatuation with her. The horrible crime Voldemort committed. Harry. Everything. He went off track as to tell her about the things he did during the war. Everything about Albus and the final days of Voldemort. At one point he even ushered her closer to show her the scar on his neck from when Nagini aggressively attacked him, almost leaving him for dead. Sofia patiently listened as he told her everything. She watched his expressions closely, as his eyes filled with darkness and pain, reminiscing on the past. As his voice quieted down Sofia was left speechless. They both sat there emotionlessly staring into the fire. Sofia wondered if it had been the right time to ask him this. She felt his eyes on her as she stared at the floor, taking in every word. Severus could feel the dull ache in his chest, as his mind filled with the memories of Lilly and the war.

After a few moments of silence, Severus felt the need to be closer to her, the pain in his chest becoming unbearable. Reaching out his arm he placed it on her wrist. Softly pulling her closer to him, still watching the fire. Sofia happily obliged carefully moving her body towards his. She placed herself between his long legs, leaning back into his chest. Severus felt her body melt into him as he wrapped his arms around her. Her fingertips gently caressing his forearm which was exposed by his rolled-up sleeves. Severus relaxed, feeling the pain slowly ease out of his body as he held Sofia close, with her head on his chest. Sofia could feel his beep breaths on her back, as she cuddled closer to him, still softly dragging her fingers over his arm. After some time she felt her eyelids get heavy. She looked up at Severus who's eyes were now shut. Placing a soft kiss on the bottom of his jaw she broke the silence.

"We have to sleep." He instantly hummed in response unwrapping his hands from her small body. Both of them softly got up. Sofia walked over to her single bed climbing in. Severus momentarily walked to the bathroom, changing into his sleep trousers and a barely buttoned shirt. Turning off the small lamp with a flick of his wrist he quickly found himself in his bed. Sofia rolled over to the side facing the wall, thinking over everything Severus had told her. As she continued to stare at the white wall the room filled with deafening silence. Sofia continued to think before the silence of the room was abruptly interrupted by Severus' raspy voice. "Sofia?"

"Hm?" She responded softly, her back facing him.

"Come here." Sofia didn't move thinking she must have misheard him. After a few seconds, she hesitantly got up from her bed, walking over to his. She could barely make out the shape of his body in the dark. Slowly sliding into the bed she felt the warmth of his body greet her. She pulled the covers over her, feeling his hand snake around her waist pulling her in closer. Soon, she found her head resting softly on his chest, as his arm wrapped tightly around her. Gently, she moved her palm to his exposed chest, feeling the softness of the hem of his shirt. With the hypnotising sound of the rain roughly hitting the roof, both soon found themselves in deep sleep, utterly content.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys x this is probably my favourite chapter by far. Apologies for the length. I hope you're all enjoying the book!
> 
> I wanted to thank each and every one of you that is reading this book, it is an absolute pleasure to see you enjoying it and sticking through the somewhat thick plot.
> 
> I would love to hear any of your comments or thoughts about this, therefore please don't hesitate to comment, and of course, kudos are always greatly appreciated!!
> 
> Love, T x


	26. The Cove

Severus sturred in bed. He could hear the seagulls and waves outside as he felt something heavy on his chest. Looking down he noticed Sofia sound asleep on top of him, her arm resting on his chest. He could tell they still had some time before they had to leave, sinking back into bed he pulled her closer to him, almost a little too tight which caused her to mumble something. Her small body was almost completely wrapped around Severus as she snaked her arm tighter around his torso. Abruptly, Severus realized how close their bodies were. How even though they've previously had multiple _encounters_ , none of them had compared to the intimacy of this one. Severus body stiffened as Sofia was still half asleep. Before he could think straight, he felt himself sink deeper into the warm feeling of her arms wrapped so securely around him. Softly moving the hair out of her face he watched her for a second before falling back asleep.

* * *

After another hour of sleep, both were now fully awake although neither of them wanted to make the other aware. As they knew that as soon as this would become a known fact they would have to leave. Sofia could tell by Severus' breathing that he was awake. Being the braver one at that moment, she lifted her head up to look at him. She saw his relaxed expression. She had never seen him like this before, so at peace. Remembering how vulnerable he had been with her last night, something drove her to place a soft kiss on his jaw, then his cheek followed closely by his lips. As she pulled away she felt his hand on her cheek, promptly pulling her back. The kiss was no longer innocent in nature. She felt Severus' tongue gently caress her bottom lip as she sunk deeper into the kiss. She was no longer at his side as she gladly moved her body even closer. She found her body laying on top of his as they continued to indulge in the passion of the kiss. Sofia was feeling a surge of courage as she felt him hum in satisfaction. Carefully, she placed her legs on either side of him, slowly raising her body above his, now straddling him. His hands fell from her face, as they looked at each other. Severus' eyes met with Sofia's grey ones, a small smirk almost visible on her lips. Sofia could see Severus' chest rise and fall deeply, as he watched her. Her blonde hair was dishevelled, lips red, Severus enjoyed the image of her assertively straddling him, as he caressed her thighs under the covers. With the adrenalin pulsing through Sofia, she slowly grazed Severus' lower body with her hips, as he let an exasperated breath escape his mouth, eyes rolling back into his head. Sofia was intoxicated by Severus' current state. She continued to softly grind her hips over Severus, feeling the grasp of his hands tighten on her legs with each motion.

"Sofia." She heard him rasp as if warning her, his eyes still firmly shut. Leaning over closer to him she kissed his neck without stopping in her movements. "Sofia." he warned her again, as she gently glided her lips across his neck to his ear. She could hear his deep breaths as she kissed him softly. "This is a dangerous game you're playing..." His hoarse almost pleading voice sounded like music to her ears. As she felt his hands snake under her sweater, caressing her waist, she felt them slowly move upwards. Before Severus could move his hands any further, Sofia swiftly moved to the side, carefully sliding out of bed. Stretching her arms she yawned glancing back at Severus who looked like he was coming off a high. She watched as his head turned to her, the pleasured expression on his face slowly transfiguring into a menacing look. Before he could say anything Sofia walked over towards the bathroom.

"Where are we going today?" She spoke flatly, peeking her head from around the corner playfully smiling at him. Severus was at a loss for words, his mind still dazed by the pleasurable sensation her hips had caused.

"A cove." He replied, attempting to gather himself as he sat up, squinting his eyes at her with a clenched jaw.

"That sounds lovely." Sofia smiled closing the bathroom door behind her. 

After both were ready Severus was still feeling a little bothered. He watched as Sofia put on her coat, ready to head out the door. Sofia was feeling like she was on top of the world, knowing that she could make him feel so out of control, and yet so good. She kept catching Severus staring into the distance as he was getting ready, looking distracted as ever. Sometimes she would catch him staring at her, knowing full well what his dark eyes were thinking. As they made their way outside the sun-blasted into their eyes. Sofia relished in the warm feeling, as she followed Severus towards the sea.

"How can a cove be a hideout for Death Eaters?"

"It was more of a place to store valuable objects rather than a hideout." Severus sternly replied. Sofia nodded as they continued to walk. Reaching the beach, both of them felt the sudden cold breeze hit their faces. As they made their way along the shore, large rocks shielding away the green from their vision, Sofia noticed a cove. Sofia looked around to see a massive naturally formed stone wall at the deepest part of the cove. She watched as Severus reached out his wand slowly moving it around allowing a small light to escape it. As the light met with the stones, they seemed to harshly part. Squinting Sofia noticed a small opening which looked like a narrow tunnel, a few rocks seemed to form a path leading to the opening in the stone wall. Following closely behind Severus she watched as they both entered the tight space. She was greeted by darkness, hearing droplets around her hit water in the distance. After squeezing through the tight crack for a few minutes longer she noticed some light. Soon they had reached a small sea cave. The walls of the cave were incredibly tall, slowly narrowing in at the end letting only a few beams of sunlight hit the turquoise water. The rocky sand seemed to stop as Sofia felt the water on her feet. Severus froze in his step before once more waving his wand. Small stones seemed to appear at the bottom of the cave surrounding the perimeter as if growing out of the rocks. They circled the cave leading up, resembling steps. Sofia noticed small openings in the stone wall, which as the sun hit them seemed to shine. "You see the cracks? Some Death Eaters would hide their most prized possessions there. They hoped that when the war would be over they could return to retrieve them."

"Can any wizard or witch access this cave?" Sofia spoke.

"Yes, if they know the right spell."

"That doesn't seem very secure to me."

"Some spoke of something that protected this cave..." Severus mused. "Perhaps a spell or a curse, but I have yet to encounter it." Sofia nodded. "I will start on the left side, you take the right, make sure not to miss anything." Severus pulled out the green emerald examining it, hoping for it to give him a sign if he was anywhere close to the reminiscent dark magic of William Greene. Carefully he began to climb on the left side, staying close to the wall. The steps were large enough for a person to be able to stand comfortably. However, any small miscalculated motion would lead to an inevitable drop into the water. Sofia did the same as she stood on the first step, she noticed something shiny inside the small crack. Pulling it out she felt a spider crawl on her hand, shaking her arm vigorously she examined the object. She held an incredibly beautiful necklace with a large deep blue stone. Placing it back she continued. The next step higher up, seemed to have a larger opening. Reaching both her hands in Sofia pulled out a box. Opening it she found some gold, a few letters and some old photos. Placing it back she continued up. After some time examining each opening she continued to move upwards. Looking down she noticed that she was a good 30 feet above the water practically across from the narrow tunnel through which they entered. Reaching into the next opening she found one single foto of a young boy. She figured it must have been someone's son. The next step seemed further away then the rest and looked severely decayed. Carefully stepping onto it she felt some of it crumble from underneath her right foot. Quickly she reached in pulling out another small pouch which was filled with different precious stones and coins. Before she could put it back she felt some more of the rock crumble under her. Hearing the soft sound of a crack forming she looked down at the step. Before she could realize what was happening the step quickly crumbled under her feet. Sofia's rotten attempt at grabbing onto the wall for safety failed as she fell into the freezing water with a loud scream. Severus turned towards her as he heard the loud splash. Swimming up to the surface Sofia took in a desperate breath. She saw as Severus stared at her from above.

"I'm fine!" She yelled as her voice echoed through the cave. As Sofia spat out some of the seawater she began to swim towards the edge of the cave. Before she reached the edge she felt the sea rumble from beneath her. Looking down she saw the water darken from under her, large bubbles forming around her as she backed into the wall. All of a sudden a massive splash broke through the water. Sofia was petrified as she watched. Moving towards her was a massive head, vaguely resembling a dragon. The scales on its head looked disgustingly dirty, as the sun hit them they seemed to reflect a dark blue colour, the creature stared at Sofia with its huge yellow eyes. The animal's head was easily ten times Sofia's body. Backing into the wall as she frantically kept herself afloat the creature moved towards her, hissing. In complete panic, Sofia took out her wand.

"Expulso!" Sofia yelled as blue light shot from her wand at the creature. The creature shut its eyes at the sensation. Backing towards the other wall of the cave the creature aggressively shook its head. As its large eyes opened once more and found Sofia, the creature quickly slithered towards her. Visibly angrier than before. Right before it met with Sofia's body it released a deafening screech, as a large black hood inflated on its head resembling a cobra. Sofia watched as its sharp teeth launched at her. Sofia quickly dove down swimming deeper as she heard a loud bang above the surface. The cave shook from impact as Severus gripped at the wall. His face twisted into anger as he began to aggressively wave his wand, attempting to harm the animal. Sofia continued to swim, noticing the rest of the creature's body. The slender body outstretched downwards into the depth without an end. Severus waited for a second longer to see Sofia at the surface before jumping into the water. Diving down he saw the vast creature. He proceeded to shoot light deeper into the cave in order to locate her. Sofia was on the other side underwater, she noticed thin almost invisible tentacles unwind from the snake-like body. As she swam deeper, she felt something slither around her leg. Before she could do anything else her body shoot upwards out of the water. The watery tentacles lifted her above the surface, dangling her down. Severus watched as the creature was about to smash Sofia's body against the wall. Severus quickly waved his arm causing the tentacles which were holding Sofia at the foot to burst into flames. Falling back into the water Sofia tried to swim towards the edge before once more feeling the tight slimy sensation around her torso. This time her body began to be dragged downwards. The pressure in her ears became unbearable as she began to thrust her body. Tightly holding on to her wand she waved it as streams of fire shot at the creature. The pulling seemed to ease as she swam up. Reaching the surface she started coughing, desperately trying to catch her breath. She heard Severus scream something incoherent from the other side as she was riddled with panic. She looked around failing to locate the creature. Soon enough she noticed as the head rose above the water in front of her. She looked into its dirty eyes as she slowly started to swim backwards, staring at the creature. The creature menacingly followed her, as if taunting her. She saw flashes of light from Severus wand hit the creature as it seemed unbothered.

As Severus continued to attempt to distract the beast, Sofia noticed its eyes. Somehow staring into the eyes of this creature made it more humane to her. She remembered Hagrid's continuous lessons at how most creatures never choose to harm unless provoked. Against better judgement, Sofia started to whistle melodically. Severus furrowed his eyebrows at her confused as he watched the beast get closer. Sofia continued to whistle a simple melody as the creature seemed to hide its teeth. Sofia carefully swam towards the opening of the cave, still whistling a soft melody. The creature, as if hypnotised, followed her showing her no harm. She waved her hand aggressively at Severus, calling for him to come back to the opening of the cave. Severus quietly made his way towards her, avoiding the thin jellyfish-like tentacles. As Sofia climbed onto land, she continued to whistle. Severus' hand finally grasped at the edge of the cave next to Sofia's legs. The creature jerked its head towards him, eyes becoming aggressive once more. Severus shot another burst of light at it as he pulled himself up, pushing Sofia towards the crack in the rocks. Sofia ran through the opening squeezing through the small space, Severus hot on her heels. As they reached the beach Sofia heard the ear-piercing screech of the animal as Severus shut the opening with his wand. Sofia dropped to her knees laying back on the sand, panting. Severus collapsed a few feet away from her, doing the same. Both laid in silence, focusing on catching their breath.

"Fuck." Sofia exclaimed. Severus looked over at her. She looked pale and still in a complete state of panic. "Merlin, I thought that was it. Truly." She whispered. Sitting up, Sofia leaned over her legs, looking down at the sand. Her breathing quickened as she felt a familiar panic rise in her chest. Severus noticed her state as he moved closer to her. Slowly placing his hand on her back he caressed her as she coughed the seawater out of her lungs. Severus heard as her breathing became more erratic. He quickly pulled her into his chest as she continued to hyperventilate.

"It's alright..." He whispered. He continued to whisper sweet nothings into her ear, tightly holding her as she seemed to slowly calm down. As she raised her head he saw how red her eyes were from the saltwater. Moving her wet hair out of her face he exhaled a deep breath. Sofia seemed to relax as she sat back, both of them watching the waves crash against the rocks. 

"I'd say I did a pretty good job back there." She let out a small laugh glancing at Severus.

"Would have been better if you were to not fall in, in the first place..." Severus spoke flatly. Sofia raised her hand in disbelief, swatting his arm, Severus flinched at her action with an abrupt chuckle. "It was a joke. You handled that exceptionally." Severus smiled at her. Sofia playfully squinted her eyes as she got up.

"Come on. I need a shower. That was enough of a show for today."


	27. Restless Waves

Both Sofia and Severus were exhausted. They were dripping wet with saltwater, still shaken by the events that had just taken place. Silently they made their way over to the Inn, walking down the shore and across some fields, gathering a few strange looks from some of the townfolk. Walking inside the Inn they ignored more startled stares from the customers and the concierge as they made their way upstairs. Sofia unlocked the room, her clothes dripping onto the floor. As soon as the door closed behind them both of them relaxed a little. Sofia suddenly felt her body shiver more than before. Taking off her heavy coat and dropping it on the floor she ran her hands through her hair, watching as Severus lit up the fireplace. The room was illuminated by a bright orange hue coming from the window, as the sun slowly began to set. 

Sofia glanced at the shower as she took her shoes off, whilst Severus removed his coat throwing it on the carpet by the fire. Sighing Sofia looked up. Her eyes were suddenly met by Severus' dark ones. She could feel as he gazed at her body. As she watched his eyes get darker and darker with desire, she felt herself getting warm. The insides of her stomach twisted as she relished in the feeling of being utterly and completely _wanted_ by _him_. Looking down Sofia noticed how her soaked white blouse clung to every curve of her body. Severus' hungry eyes trailed the curves of her breasts as she observed his expression. She could see that his breathing started to become more erratic. To Severus, the distance between them seemed like miles even though it was just a few feet. All of the desire he had previously bottled up inside seemed to be escaping him at that very moment. Clenching his jaw he focused on controlling himself, not knowing how Sofia might be feeling after what just happened. Sofia could sense how much lust was radiating from Severus. Remembering what she did in the morning she suddenly had an idea. Standing there, between him and the bathroom door she slowly ran her hands through her wet hair, tilting her head to the side. Severus' eyes were locked with hers, as she carefully dragged her hands down her chest and stomach, slowly finding the button of her trousers. Undoing her trousers, menacingly slowly, she gently pulled them down. Her slender legs stepped out of the heap on the floor. Severus was mesmerised by the image of Sofia in nothing but a white shirt, which ended mid-thigh. She gently started undoing her shirt, button by button. Severus breath hitched in his throat as he could see the lace of her bra begging to peak with every button she undid. He found it hard to take his eyes off her as she kept going. Soon enough the shirt was undone, clinging to her shoulders, completely open. Severus greedily glared at her as he examined every inch of her body. Her perfect breasts, small waist, and hips. As her slender legs slowly moved towards him he inhaled once more, desperate to catch his breath. Only a foot away from him, she let the shirt fall to the carpet. Without breaking her eyes away from his, she carefully reached her hands behind her back, unclasping her bra. As her bra became loose she let it gently drop to the floor. Severus was mesmerised by her almost naked body. Completely overrun by desire and lust he took a step closer to her. Sofia wrapped her arms around his neck, placing a soft kiss on his lips, Severus could feel her smile. Before he had the time to place his hands on her cold body, she quickly spun around, unwrapping her arms from him, quickly walking over to the bathroom.

Before Sofia could open the door she heard Severus follow her. Grabbing her softly by the hand he spun her around, pulling her in. Hungrily kissing her lips he pulled her closer to his body. Both of them were now impatiently grasping at each other. Severus hands quickly found their way to her breasts as he softly caressed them making her moan into his mouth. Sofia quickly started undoing Severus black shirt pulling it off him as she deepened their desperate kiss. Sofia pulled him closer by the neck as he trailed her waist and hips with his hands, soon gripping at her arse. Both of them knew at that moment that there was no going back, unlike the other times, something inside both of them felt _different_. As Sofia started to undo Severus' trousers she could feel him growing underneath her palm. She smiled biting his lip as she gently pressed her hand on him, hearing him hiss in her ear. Severus took a glance at her gleeful expression as he started to kiss her down her chest, leaving small bites behind, making her moan. Hurriedly both of them moved towards Severus' bed without stopping in their actions. Sofia softly fell on the bed as Severus climbed on top of her. Sofia started to graze her fingers against Severus naked chest slowly moving her hands downwards, but before she could reach his hips he almost angrily pulled her hands away resting them on the mattress. "I think you've done enough of that this morning..." His silk voice rasped as she let out a small chuckle which quickly turned into a moan as his lips met with her breast. Still holding her hands down, Severus dragged his lips down her body. Kissing her torso, her navel, followed by her hips and the inside of her thighs. She felt him move between her legs as she gasped for air with a pleasant shiver. Sofia was completely overrun by pleasure as her hand found its way to Severus' hair pulling at it as he continued pleasing her. After a few more pleading moans he looked up at her, his eyes meeting her hooded ones, her blonde hair a mess, lips slightly parted. He smirked to himself as he brought his palm closer to her. Gently grazing her thighs with his fingertips. After hearing her almost beg for him he softly began to caress every inch of her. Sofia could feel Severus' fingers inside of her as she quietly moaned his name, her fingers tangling in the bedsheets. Before Sofia was almost completely overrun by pleasure Severus suddenly stopped as he heard her moans quicken, moving closer to her face he kissed her lightly on her cheek. He could hear her incoherently mutter something as he bit her earlobe. Before the two completely gave in to their desire, between her madly kissing him, Severus ran his hand over Sofia's abdomen whispering a protective spell. Severus looked into Sofia's eyes for a second as she placed another soft kiss on his lips, both of them breathing deeply as she held his face close to hers. With a swift motion, the angst that painfully built up inside them for months was suddenly released, as both of them gasped at the long-awaited sensation. Within mere seconds both of their bodies were overrun by immerse waves of pleasure. The room was filled with the sounds of Sofia's soft moaning as Severus continued to swiftly move his body. Her hands found their way to Severus' back, desperately scratching him as he gripped at the bedframe with his strong arm. After one last exasperated moan fell from Sofia's lips, Severus could feel himself becoming undone, as did she. In that second both were completely and utterly content, pleasure coursing through each other's bodies as the adrenalin began to ease. As Severus heard Sofia whisper his name one more time, he placed his lips on hers as both of them felt the release of tension. With their lips still connected, his movements slowed down, until both of them finally felt a complete and unforgiving release. Opening her eyes Sofia breathed deeply, still wrapping her head around what had just happened. She felt Severus gently lay on her, the tense muscles in his body now relaxed as she softly stroked his back. She heard him hum under his breath with every stroke as she smiled softly.

Both of them laid there in complete silence as Sofia proceeded to drag her nails across Severus, looking out the window, noticing the bright red colour of the sky. Severus looked up at her soft face, her grey eyes still hooded as she looked out. In that moment to him, she looked breathtaking. Sofia could feel Severus watching her as she looked towards him. His eyes now soft, softer than she had ever seen them before. Smiling she leaned down to place a soft kiss on his lips.

"That was incredible." She whispered.

"I'd bloody hope so. Especially after all the teasing." He grunted rolling over to his side as she laughed.

"What on earth are you referring to?" She smirked.

"You of course." He breathed, as his arm folded behind his head holding himself up, with the other gently resting on his exposed chest. Sofia furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. Severus sighed noticing her expression. "Aberdeen. The storeroom. This morning..." He mused as she laughed again.

"None of that was entirely my fault! Especially the storeroom." Sofia looked out the window once more as she spoke with a smile, her body still in complete ecstasy.

"Oh, but it was. Especially with these legs..." He smirked as he softly glided his fingertips against Sofia's thigh looking towards the fire. Sofia scoffed as she watched him. Humming she pulled her hair behind her, feeling the coarseness of it she huffed.

"We still have to shower."

"Yes." Severus softly nodded. Climbing out of bed Sofia hesitantly made her way to the bathroom as he watched her naked body sway with every step. Before she turned the corner she looked back at him.

"Are you coming?" She smiled as Severus raised his eyebrows. "-It saves water." She bit the inside of her cheek.

"Are you suggesting I come with you simply for the benefit of the environment?" He cocked his head to the side as Sofia sighed.

"As you wish." Her body disappeared behind the corner. Severus laid there for another minute before he heard the shower turn on. Smirking, he followed her. As he entered the bathroom he could see the contour of her body from behind the opaque glass. With steam filling the room he stepped in behind her. Feeling the hot water his body he gently caressed her back with his hands. Placing a soft kiss on her neck then shoulder, he was glad to receive a low hum of satisfaction in response. Wrapping his arms around her he stood there for a second as she leaned into him. Both finally enjoying the warm water on their skin instead of the freezing sea. Pulling away Sofia reached for the shampoo pouring some on her hair. As she began to lather it in, she felt Severus hands on her head. Chuckling, she let her hands down as his hands softly massaged her head, fingers tangling in her hair. Sofia leaned her head back in pleasure as he continued. "You know. I think my favourite _Professor Snape_ rumour has just been proven false..." Sofia smiled as he continued.

"Do tell, Sofia." She heard his deep voice respond from behind her.

"-That you don't know how to wash your hair." She chuckled as she heard Severus grunt in frustration.

"I'm not completely barbaric." She heard him sigh. Sofia was truly happy at that moment, indulging in the gentle feeling of him washing her hair. She knew that she was one of the few people who could see that Severus was capable of being sweet and even caring. She treasured those moments. After both finished Sofia go out of the shower first wrapping herself in a fluffy white towel as she headed out. Taking her wand out from her purse, drying her hair, and putting on some clothes it suddenly dawned at her that both of them were nowhere close to finding the wristwatch. No matter how hard she wanted to be happy with the current situation, her mind wandered back to her father in Azkaban and the threat. "Sofia?" Severus spoke, now fully clothed watching as she motionlessly stared out into the window, her arms firmly crossed over her chest. She grunted back without taking her eyes off the moon.

"We're nowhere close to finding the watch." She spoke.

"There is one more location we have to visit. If we don't find it there, I will speak to Albus. See what our next options are." Sofia turned around briefly smiling at him.

"What about that creature? What will happen to it?"

"I am unsure. There is no reason to destroy or harm it. I will see if I can find some experts in beasts like this one to take a look and see what they can do." Sofia nodded. She heard Severus pick up a book as he walked over to the bed. Sofia was mesmerised by the sea. Squinting her eyes she watched the waves move in a steady motion. Pondering on what the watch had to do with her father and the threat.


	28. Insufferable

Sofia once more found herself in the familiar position behind the teacher's desk, grading homework in the potions classroom. She was reading through endless paragraphs on the student's scrolls regarding the importance of potions within medicine. After their last search, Sofia was feeling a little relieved. During teaching throughout the week, she had noticed that Severus had become more attentive to her. He was no longer nagging her for the smallest things when she was assisting, or scolding her at any minor mistakes, granted she never made any. Throughout the week he even invited her over for some dinner at his office, which she had loved since it seemed like a little escape from the repetitiveness of the Great Hall. As she continued to mark the homework, she felt a warm smile creep up her face. Sofia was now convinced that he had finally fully warmed up to her, especially after their last _encounter_. Their fleeting touches and small kisses throughout the day made her heart warm and kept her on her toes throughout the boring days of teaching. What Sofia didn't know was how much of an impact she truly had on Severus. His constant punishments and scoldings stopped being utterly unreasonable, which all the students happily noticed. He seemed to be more relaxed during lessons, and now he even had something to look forwards to, which was of course her. Throughout the evenings they almost always spent time working down in the dungeons together. Between marking and brewing, they would often get carried away with conversations and sometimes some unexpected kissing, which often resulted in them falling behind on work. But none the less, both seemed happier. Severus started to develop a certain deeper fondness for Sofia, as he often caught himself grazing over her hand with his fingertips under the dining table at dinner, or pulling her into a passionate kiss in the darkness of the dungeons whilst no one was looking. 

This evening Sofia was working alone. Severus was busy doing something of higher importance in his office as she hummed some melody whilst grading the last few papers. Just as she was about to go into his office to check on him she heard an angry knock at the door. 

"Come in!" She raised her voice lifting her eyes up from the paper. She watched as the older Parker brother stormed into the classroom. "How may I help you, Mr Parker?" She spoke looking down once more. She heard him angrily stomp over to her before he slammed his hand on the teacher's desk. Looking up Sofia glared at him menacingly as she noticed that he was holding something. As he removed his hand she picked up the paper. She saw that it was a failed midterm exam which she had previously marked. 

"I studied all night. I don't think its quite fair that you've failed me." He spoke frustrated, clearly holding some anger back.

"Mr Parker-" Sofia leaned back in her chair. "-you might be right. But the issue is that I can not make out your handwriting." She smiled at him. Holding up the paper which was completely illegible. 

"This is bollocks."

"Language," Sofia spoke sternly as she was now beginning to feel pissed off. She was trying to be calm, but the Parker brothers drove her absolutely insane, especially this one. He was known to have a short temper and Sofia was not about to indulge in that. "You will not speak to me like that in my-"

"Your what? This is Snape's classroom, not yours." He spoke boldly eyeing her. "Therefore you can't tell me how to talk, can you?" He smirked at her. Sofia smiled back as if mocking him, pursing her lips. 

"Mr Parker, would you like to get this remarked by Professor Snape then? Was that your plan?" Sofia knew damn well that Severus would fail him in a second if he took even just a single glance at his handwriting. 

"Give me a pass Ms Greene. That's all I ask." The boy was insufferable. Sofia couldn't wrap her head around the fact that he could just come in there, talk to her like that and demand a pass. 

"I don't think that's how _school_ works Mr Parker. You will take the re-set next week. And if you fail again, the school will have to notify your parents." Sofia's voice was stone cold as she watched him. The boy began to pace in front of her, she noticed as his face beginning to get red. Besides anger, she could now notice fear in his eyes, probably at the mention of his parents. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks, looking up at her, leaning on one of the tables.

"I have been at Hogwarts long enough, Ms Greene, to see that you've been jumping from class to class, assisting whomever you get assigned to-" Sofia pushed her chair back, gently standing up as she watched the student about to continue. She couldn't believe that he had the cheek to speak to her like that. Half her mind wanted to send him straight to Albus, skipping the formality of Severus' office. "-I wonder how my parents would feel if I were to tell them that I was being taught by an over-glorified _assistant_." he finished smiling. Sofia's eyes went wide. No one had ever referred to her like that, let alone a student. She could feel her blood boil as she was about to yell at the boy to put him back in his place. But somehow the words failed to come out of her mouth as the term _over-glorified assistant_ went straight to her heart. "When my parents hear about this, you will not only be out of a job but also-"

" **Enough**!" Both Sofia and the boy abruptly turned towards the open office door. Sofia saw Severus standing in the doorway. His arms crossed over his chest as he glared at the boy. Severus swiftly walked up to him, no emotion showing on his face. As the boy paled Severus leaned in uncomfortably close to his face. "30 points from Slytherin. Straight to the headmaster's office-"

"But sir-"

"Now." As Severus barked the boy scattered out of the classroom. Sighing he turned around to face Sofia, who looked angrier than he had ever seen her. She was watching the door as Severus walked up to her. Placing his hand softly on her arm he tried to pull her towards him, so she would face him. Gently, Sofia shook her arm free from Severus' grasp. Surprised by her reaction he now stepped in front of her. "Sofia?" He watched her face as her eyes still gazed at the door, jaw clenched. Before he could say anything else Sofia softly mumbled something, grabbing her glasses off the table as she headed for the door. Severus stood there dumbfounded as he watched her leave the classroom. 

Stepping out of the office, Sofia could hear the obnoxious sound of her heels click-clacking on the stoned ground. She marched down the hallway, heading straight to her quarters. She could feel hot tears threatening to spill onto her cheeks, as she aggressively wiped them away she continued walking. She saw a few students lurking in the hallways as she swiftly walked by them. She was in such a haste to leave the classroom that she had forgotten all about the elf door. Finally making it to her quarters she dumped her things on her desk kicking her shoes off. Just as she was about to step into her shower, hoping to wash over any of the resentful emotions that boy had caused with his empty threats, she noticed a note under her door. Rolling her eyes she grabbed the note quickly scanning it over. 

_Albus informed me that he wanted to meet you in his office tonight. Hopefully, you will read this before 9 pm, dear._

_Minerva._

Grunting Sofia threw the note on her desk looking at the clock. She only had a few minutes before she had to head over to see Albus. She knew that Albus wanted to talk to her about the failed searches. Although she knew she had nothing to worry about, anger overtook her as she had realized that neither she nor Severus even knew what the watch had to do with the threat. Her being a cynic, she didn't even believe any threat had existed in the first place. She knew she didn't have the authority to question Albus however she was slowly becoming more and more agitated not only by the failed attempts to find the watch but also by feeling entirely useless throughout the whole process. Not knowing if this was just her anger talking, she raked her fingers through her hair as she took off her teaching robe, throwing it on her bed. Putting her shoes back on, she made her way back out into the hallways, quickly making her way over to the headmaster's office. Whispering the password, as the Griffin shifted, she walked in, forcing a small smile. 

"Ah, Sofie, you've made it." Albus smiled at her. 

"Yes. How have you been Albus?" She replied back, hoping that some polite small talk would ease her off her anger. 

"Not bad, not bad. Would you like some caramel?" He offered her a wrapped sweet as she shook her head. Usually, she would take a seat right across from him but her feet were restless from the agitation raging through her body. She softly walked across the room, trying to seem as inconspicuous as possible. Albus looked over at her concerned. "Is something bothering you, dear?" He questioned. 

"Nothing. Just some students causing havoc." 

"I believe you're referring to Mr Parker. Don't worry yourself too much, it has been taken care of." Sofia shot him another forced smile as she paced in her spot. As Albus was about to speak they both heard the door open. Looking over, Sofia noticed Severus who made his way over to the opposite corner of the room. "Fantastic, you're both here. Now, Severus has informed me that both of your searches have been unsuccessful am I correct?" Albus watched as both of them nodded. 

"There is another location which we have to visit, but if we fail to find anything there, I am afraid we will be out of options." Severus spoke firmly. Sofia listened as they continued to talk about other options, from more locations to going back to Azkaban to interrogate her father. Sofia tried her hardest to listen to their conversation as she softly paced back and forth in the corner of the office. Severus glanced at her a few times with a quirked eyebrow noticing that her mind was in someplace else. As Sofia's mind got once more overwhelmed with anger, and the annoying pointless assumptions of whatever the watch could mean she finally opened her mouth interrupting both the men midway through their conversation. 

"Isn't there another way?" She questioned looking down. Both the men turned to her, a little surprised at her minor outburst. She looked up, taking her hand off her face as she continued. "I just mean...I am related to the man. Isn't there another way where I can be of use, except pointlessly searching?" Severus shot her a surprised look, as he stood over Albus' desk. Severus looked over at Albus who was now giving him a knowing stare. As he came to a realization of what Albus was about to offer he started to softly shake his head in dismay. 

"No..." His deep voice whispered as Albus let his head drop to the side, his fingers laced together. 

"No, what?" Sofia questioned, annoyed at the feeling of being left out of the loop. 

"If she agrees to it, there shouldn't be a problem Severus." Albus spoke staring at Severus who was towering over him.

"No." Severus' husky voice responded again.

"No, _what_?" Sofia gritted through her teeth as she walked up to them. 

"My dear, Severus is very gifted at _Legilimency._ I'm sure you are aware of what that is?"Albus watched a now confused Sofia nod. "He could perform it on you. See if he could find anything in the deepest memories you have of your father, which would inevitably help us locate the wristwatch." Sofia paused for a second as her brows furrowed. Her eyes were glass as she stared out behind Albus. She could hear Severus protest as she just stood there. Hearing the two men continue to argue she decided to take matters into her own hands, she softly coughed from behind Severus to catch their attention. 

"We will do the final search. And if we are to fail, Severus will perform Legilimency on me." Albus nodded as Severus continued to protest. He was about to make his way over to her, but she turned to the door, almost ignoring him, walking out of the office. Severus stood there in shock. This was the second time in one day that she had looked past him, the second time he was now watching her walk out the door. Looking back at Albus he caught him softly smiling. 

"You care for the girl Severus." He spoke. 

"Legilimency is extremely heavy on the mind. I won't do it." 

Albus' demeanour changed as his face became stern. "Oh, but you will." Severus grunted at him knowing that he had no say in this. "Now, I suggest you follow her Severus." He spoke again, giving him a cheeky smile, his sternness as if erased in a quick second. Rolling his eyes Severus walked out of the office. Albus leaned back in his chair, admiring the peaceful silence in his office. Picking up another sweet, he pondered on when would be the right time to tell Sofia and Severus the vast importance of that watch and what it could possibly do. 

If found, of course. 


	29. Familiar Pleasantries

The hallways of Hogwart's were empty. The building was filled by the echos of ghosts and crickets at the Black Lake. Sofia made her way through the open hallway. Hands crossed over her chest, she wrapped her sweater around herself as she made her way down towards her quarters. Before she could step on the staircase she noticed the dark sky. She was always mesmerised by the stars above Hogwarts. She couldn't help herself as she stepped up to the railing. Looking out into the lake she suddenly felt the need to sit on the grass. She often did that as a student and even as a teacher, especially during the warmer months of the year. Hopping over the railing she walked towards the lake. Feeling the soft grass under her heels she walked closer to the water. The lake was calm. The silence engulfed her. All she could hear was the sound of some bats flying around and the soft chirping of the crickets. Softly touching the freezing water with the tip of her finger she noticed movement a few feet in front of her. She watched as she saw the water move. Squinting her eyes she noticed the famous giant squid making its way to the surface. Smiling she remembered her student days, as she often snuck out of her room to play with it. Although most students were utterly afraid of it, she had grown very fond of the creature. Especially since Hagrid always seemed to drag her out to socialize with it. She watched as it played in the distance, making the water around ripple with his tentacles. She was just about to sit down on the grass as she felt the dampness. Grunting she pulled out her wand, conjuring a small wooden bench, which seemed to have become a habit. Placing herself on the bench she pulled her legs up close to her chest. Sighing she closed her eyes letting her head drop, enjoying the soft breeze tickle her exposed skin. She focused on letting all of the anger she had accumulated prior, ease out of her body. She knew why Mr Parker's words had hurt her so much but she didn't want to admit it, even just to herself.

Meanwhile, Severus had walked out of Albus' office, attempting to follow her. As he made it down the hallway he noticed her small body on the wooden bench in the distance. Before coming over, he reminisced on the day he had unhexed her hair. Walking across the grass he made it towards the bench. He could see that she was clearly unaware of the fact that anyone was around her, as she had her head laid back, eyes firmly shut. As he walked in front of the bench, he saw her head jolt towards him. Sighing, he hesitantly sat next to her, leaving some distance in between them.

"There was no need to run off like that Sofia." Severus broke the silence as Sofia continued to look out towards the lake. Pulling her legs closer to her body she kissed her teeth.

"I didn't fancy staying there, that's all." She spoke.

"And why is that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know Severus." Sofia snidely returned.

"Yes, actually I would." Sofia could tell by Severus' agitated deep tone of voice that he was no longer playing games with her. "What is bothering you?" He spoke again, this time softer. She felt him lean in closer to her, as he placed his palm on the bench. Sighing, Sofia decided to speak.

"That boy. His comment was just a little... rough." She heard Severus scoff at her.

"Is that it? That spoiled brat is what made you so upset?"

"I am not upset." Sofia eyed him as he rolled his eyes. She could feel him continue to stare at her as if waiting for her to speak. "Fine. As I'm sure you're aware, I haven't exactly had the best time in the muggle world. I've dealt with enough shit working at the bar... And when I came to Hogwarts, I was hoping to eventually develop a stable career. And to be honest, almost 5 years down the line I'm still known as someone's _over-glorified_ assistant and nothing more." Sofia could feel the hot tears welling up in her eyes. Looking to the side, she let a few tears slip as she subtly wiped them away. Severus' expression suddenly changed. His eyes softened as he watched Sofia struggle to speak. "It was just a shitty thing to say, that's all." She spoke into the distance. She felt Severus shift closer to her as she pretended to ignore him.

"Come here." she heard his soft voice next to her. Resting her arms on her knees she ignored him. She heard him let out a prolonged annoyed sigh as he placed his hand on her arm softly tugging her towards him. "Come here." He repeated himself as Sofia eventually gave in. Gently she leaned into him, finding a spot on the side of his chest, leaning her bend legs on his lap. She felt warmth as his arm tightened around her body bringing her in closer. Severus' felt her muscles relax al little, as he reassuringly squeezed her arm.

"You don't have to do this." Sofia muttered, her arms still crossed over her chest.

"I want to." She heard him speak from above her. She smiled at his response, attempting to carefully place her arm over him. "You know..." He began, looking down at her. "From what I remember, they almost forbade Hagrid from teaching any more classes before you came along..." He spoke firmly. "-and Minerva told me that Filius was struggling to handle that rowdy group of 3rd years a few years back before you were asked to assist." Sofia smiled at his reassurance. She was never aware of either of those things. She felt the weight of her shoulders slowly leave her as she continued to look at the moon. "Perhaps when Remus chooses to spend more time with his family, you will be the first person Albus will ask to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts-"

"But you've always wanted that job?" Sofia looked up at him, analyzing his moonlit features. She saw as he gently smiled glanced down at her.

"-my place is in the dungeons, you know that Sofia." He pressed her closer to him as Sofia huffed. Severus gently placed his hand under her chin, softly lifting her head to look up at him. "-that rotten brat has no right to make you feel this way. Especially when it is _so_ far from the truth. Now, I don't know what exactly happened during the years in which you've worked at that bar, but I can assure you-" He paused as she watched him struggle to say the last few words. "-that you are the best and most hardworking assistant I've ever had." Sofia chuckled at his words.

"You've only ever had one, Severus."

"And there's a reason for it." She felt his chest move as he let out a quiet low laugh. Sofia felt immensely better. Not only did she feel reassured that she was worth something more than just an assistant, but she also missed Severus being this close to her body. Gazing at him, she pulled herself up closer to his face. Severus noticed her movements as he tilted his head towards her with a lazy smile. He watched as Sofia's eyes trailed from his eyes to his lips. Before she could do anything, he leaned in softly placing a kiss on her lips. Gently, she sat up, moving her soft hands to cup his face. He pulled her in closer by the waist as they softly kissed, surrounded by the deafening silence of the lake. As Sofia broke the kiss to breathe she opened her eyes to find him already looking at her. Before she could reconnect her lips with his again, they both heard footsteps.

"Who goes there?" Both of them jolted at the harsh voice. Sofia quickly jumping to the end of the bench as Severus smirked, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked back to see Argus in the open hallway. "Students? After hours?" they both heard Argus exclaim as Sofia couldn't help but laugh, hearing him quickly march across the grass.

"It's just me Argus." Severus deep voice called out as they both heard him stop in his tracks.

"Oh. Severus?" Argus seemed at a loss for words. " Lovely evening to you then." He continued as he quickly walked back to the castle. Sofia couldn't help but burst out laughing. She looked over at Severus who watched her with a soft smile. Shaking his head he pulled her in again as she hummed.

"Where were we..." Severus murmured in her ear as he kissed her neck. Sofia sighed as she felt Severus hands on her waist once more.

"We need to be a little more careful. We're not on an island anymore." Sofia spoke as Severus continued to tenderly kiss her neck. Sofia pulled away from him as she watched his soft expression, eyeing her. She heard him hum in annoyance, as he knew she was right, sitting back on the bench he looked out towards the lake. "I need to get to sleep. I have another core-class to teach tomorrow morning." Sofia winked as she got up. Severus softly nodded, still clearly a little agitated by the unfortunate turn of events. "Thank you, for standing up for me, and for this." Sofia spoke shyly as she stepped away from the bench.

"Let me walk you to your quarters." Severus muttered as he got up. Sofia quickly removed the bench, as they both walked to Sofia's quarters' side by side. Sofia still smiling from the earlier encounter. As they made it to the door Sofia sighed, leaning her back on it.

"This strangely feels as if I am a student again." She smiled looking up at him.

"I couldn't agree more Sofia." He muttered leaning in closer, placing the last kiss deep on her lips as he pulled away, muttering a soft goodnight as Sofia stood there. She felt the familiar twist in the pit of her stomach as she watched him walk away. She wanted, badly, to call him back but she knew it was better not to. The last thing either of them needed for the students to see a cheeky walk of shame in the morning. After Sofia walked inside the room, she had already started planning the next time she could accidentally find herself in Severus' quarters or lure him into hers.

* * *

The core class went better than she expected. All of the students were extremely obedient listening to each and every word she said. After a few successful attempts at brewing the _Shrinking Solution_ , the students all headed out for lunch. Sofia quickly waved her wand to clean up the reminiscence of the mess left by the students. She noticed there was some powder still leftover on the floor from one of the broke vials. Grabbing the broom closest to her she carefully started sweeping away the power. She was more than capable to do this with magic, however, sometimes she preferred the manual labour of cleaning, reminding her of her days in London. She heard the office door open, ignoring it she continued to clean, mesmerised by the repetitive motion of her arms. Suddenly the breath in her throat hitched as she felt Severus' arms engulf her from behind. Looking down she noticed as his large palms snaked around her. Softly laughing to herself she leaned the broom on the closest table. Before she could turn to face him, she felt his breathing on her neck. Severus softly began to kiss her neck, pulling her hair backwards. His efforts had come completely out of nowhere. Sofia glared at the door which was still slightly open.

"We can't Severus. The door." She spoke between her desperate breaths. She felt one of Severus' hands leave her body as he waved for the door to quickly shut, followed by the loud click of the lock. Smiling she let her head fall back, as he continued to kiss her neck.

"I heard you teach. I'm surprised to see that you seem to be doing quite well without me." He whispered in her ear between desperate kisses.

"Oh. A rare compliment from _Severus Snape_ himself. This day need's to be recorded in history." She snapped back playfully as she heard his deep chuckle in her ear. Turning her around, he proceeded to kiss down her neck and collarbone. "We'll both be out of a job soon if you don't stop." She whispered in his ear.

"I think I will be out a job sooner, replaced by you perhaps?" Sofia's eyes went wide, as she softly pushed him back in disbelief, her palms placed on his chest.

"Where are all these complements coming from? Is everything okay?" She realised an eyebrow at him. Instead of answering Severus roughly pulled her in, softly lifting her by her thighs, he placed her on top of the closest desk. Sofia gasped as she felt the coldness of the table. Severus hungrily kissed her as she felt her eyes flutter closed. She felt his lips greedily dance with hers as she soon found her hands tangling in his hair. All of a sudden she felt his hands move towards her legs, hosting her skirt up, being careful not to completely pull it to her waist. Breaking the kiss she rolled her eyes. "I see now. You've simply _missed me_." She smirked at him as he continued to ignore her. She watched as he lowered his body, palms still resting on her thighs. Within a second Sofia felt her thighs being pulled to either side. Before she could say anything to protest she felt his warm tongue on her. Letting a small moan escape her lips her head fell back. Severus still placed between her legs, as he continued to please her, his hands firmly gripping at her thighs. Sofia continued to moan, eyes shutting tightly at the pleasant sensation. Pulling at his black hair, she felt her body quiver with every motion of his tongue. As her moans became increasingly louder, Severus stopped to observe her.

"So... vocal today." His silky voice filled the classroom as her fingertips gently caressed his face. He watched her face as she looked down at him, eyes half-closed, mouth open, exasperating breaths falling from her lips. Severus was about to move closer to her again before she stopped him.

"As much as I _love_ _this_..." Her voice was shaky as she looked into his lustful eyes. "-I've seen what goes on...on top of these desks..." She looked around, remembering all the shattered glass and spilt ingredients from her school years to her teaching years. Severus straightened his back placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Lifting her up by her thighs once more, his tall frame swiftly carried her to his office. Shutting the door behind him with his foot he continued to hungrily kiss her as her arms found their way around his neck. Placing her on his black leather couch, he scanned her body with his greedy eyes as she pulled him closer. "You never told me about the next search." She whispered between kissing his neck and running her hands over his tense body. Severus was busy undoing her shirt as he suddenly paused.

"You want to know, now?" He quirked an eyebrow at her as she nodded. "Very well." He sighed. Pulling her shirt off her body he started to kiss her collarbone moving down to her now revealed, black lace bra. As he kissed the top of her left breast Sofia moaned. "A castle-" He breathed as he kissed her other breast. "-in the outskirts of Inverness-" He gritted with the corner of her bra between his teeth as he gently pulled it down. As she felt his teeth gently nibble at her breast her head fell back in pleasure, moaning again. "-we leave on Friday, as usual." He finished, as he kissed down her stomach pulling down her skirt. Just as softly, he placed his hands on the inside of her bare thighs, dragging his slender fingers closer to her. Sofia suddenly began to shake her head.

"No need. I can't wait that long." Severus smirked at her eagerness.

"It seemed to me, that it's not just I, who seems to have missed this." His deep voice purred as she sat up helping him with his trousers. Pushing him back on the other end of the couch Sofia found her place straddling him. As she kissed him she could hear a low growl in the back of his throat. Neither Sofia nor Severus could wait any longer. Quickly, Sofia lowered her body on top of his. Severus felt a wave of pleasure course through his body with a hoarse quiet moan. The dark office was filled with the familiar moans falling from Sofia's lips and low grunts from Severus. There was so much endless passion and adrenalin between the two that they both seemed to be in a different world at that moment. Severus' hands gripped to her hips feeling her softly ride him, his senses completely overpowered by her, and _only her_. Sofia watched as he was begging to completely override with pleasure, his eyes tightly shut, low grunts escaping from his mouth. Before long, it had become unbearable for Severus. Without being able to hold himself back, Severus had become completely undone by Sofia. For Sofia, seeing Severus as if under her spell, fully giving himself to her, finally drove her over the edge as she bit back a loud moan, her hands gripping at his chest, leaving behind small red marks from her nails. As she heard him release one last intense breath, she relaxed. Sofia was about to gently move back before she felt him tightly grip her arm. His eyes still firmly shut he pulled her towards him. Carefully, Sofia straightened her legs laying down on his bare chest. Unlike the last time, it was now Severus who was softly running his hands over her back. Gently caressing her as she hummed in satisfaction.

"What a fantastic core-class." Sofia muttered against Severus' neck as he deeply laughed, still attentively caressing her back, before placing a soft kiss at the top of her head.


	30. Inverness Castle

"How long are we staying here?" 

"Should only be tonight. We will search the castle at dusk, and return tomorrow morning." Severus responded coldly placing his things on the table across from the bed. Unlike the other inn's this one was dark. Different. Being inside made Sofia feel uneasy. The clerk downstairs seemed on edge, there was not another soul in the building, and the building itself was grim. The walls were black brick, and the window barely let any of the light into the small room. Biting the inside of her cheek, Sofia walked up to the window. Outside, she saw dark clouds looming over the fields. She couldn't see any people around, let alone hear anything. Even the birds. 

"It's a ghost town." Sofia murmured under her breath.

"Hm." She heard him respond from behind her. There was uncomfortable tension in the room between both of them. Severus' hasn't shown any interest in Sofia since their last encounter on his office couch, he was either busy with work or the thoughts in his own head during the past few days. It was beginning to seem like he was almost reverting back to his original brooding state. However, Sofia refused to take it to heart. Especially remembering the last time they went to a hideout, and how much it had affected him. She knew it was not the time, nor place for her to talk about her displacement with his attitude. She continued to stare outside through the small window. The dark cloud seemed to move closer to them. Everything she could see from the window took on a sickly shade of grey, the whole sky covered by black clouds which reminded her of factory smoke. 

"When are we leaving?" She asked. 

"Soon. It will take time to get there." He muttered under his breath. Softly nodding Sofia sat down at the table, without even taking off her jacket or shoes She ignored Severus as he paced around the room, clearly sulking on some matters which she did not dare ask him about. Leaning back in her chair, she crossed her arms over her body and waited. A few minutes later she saw the room flash, furrowing her eyebrows she abruptly turned towards the window. Within seconds, she heard the loud bang of thunder above them. Followed by the sound of rain. The rain quickly changed from a drizzle to a fierce storm. The water was harshly hitting the small window as the thunder continued to rumble outside. Cautiously Sofia counted to herself, hoping the thunder was nowhere near them. For now, it seemed to be at bay, with the time between the flashes and the thunder being prolonged enough for Sofia to assume it was a few miles away from them. She watched as Severus picked up his wand and turned towards the door, he gestured his hand for her to follow. With a small huff, Sofia got up, glancing one last time at the window. 

As soon as they stepped outside, Sofia was soaked. The large droplets of unstoppable rain hit her face, as she tied her wet hair back. Squinting to see better, she followed Severus who was heading across the field. Sofia had hoped for the rain to ease up but it only seemed to get stronger. In an instant, she saw another flash of lightning which caused her to flinch, stopping in her tracks she counted the seconds, paranoid. In the town she was raised, she had experienced numerous storms. Her mother always warned her about the lighting and how fast it can catch up with you. Not only that, but the untimely death one single stroke of lightning can cause. Looking around Sofia noticed that they were walking through a completely open field. If the lighting were to get any closer they wouldn't stand a chance. 

"We have to hurry up!" She yelled at him. Turning around Severus looked at her, squinting his eyes. 

"Scared of the rain, Sofia?" he muttered. Sofia didn't appreciate his remark as she clenched her jaw at him. Severus watched the drenched girl as another flash of thunder stroke above them. He watched her mouth something at him. As he heard the bang she held up her hand showing him five fingers. 

"Five Severus." She yelled over the rain. "The lightning is a mile away, and I don't have to tell _you_ , that it moves rather quickly." She nudged her head to the side as he rolled his eyes. Speeding up, both of them continued down the field. The ground under them becoming soft and muddy. Every few seconds Sofia would wipe the water from her face in an attempt to see better. She started noticing some green hills beginning to surround them. In the distance, she noticed a large grey stone building standing at the edge of the furthest hill. The castle looked like it was seconds away from toppling over the edge. She followed close to Severus as they approached the hill. Walking around the castle she noticed how vast it truly was. What seemed to be one small tower looked like the only tower left within endless ruins. Sofia stepped over the collapsed leftover structures as she followed Severus to the tower on the edge. There was some wooden flooring leftover on the damp ground and endless amounts of rubble. Squinting she could see some other objects like a shattered chandelier and some wooden pieces of what seemed to once resemble furniture. As they approached the tall tower, she watched Severus quickly unlock the large castle door.

"Wait." He grunted at her as he walked in. A second later he called for her to come in. Once more, wiping some water from her face Sofia could breathe again, as she shut the door behind her, the rain becoming an echo. The castle looked unsurprisingly abandoned. There was a massive stone staircase in front of the door leading upstairs. She noticed some moss peeking through the wooden flooring as she stepped over some of the rotting floorboards. The stones seemed to barely be holding the building upright. Looking over to the left she noticed some destroyed furniture. Everything seemed outdated to her. The castle looked like a reminiscence of whatever stood here in the 20th century. "Sofia-" She heard Severus' dark voice from another room. "-same as before. You go and search upstairs, I will stay here. If there is to be an issue, scream." Sofia nodded as she stepped onto the stone staircase. Walking upstairs she found multiple doors. Some of the rain had made it inside, dripping on what looked like an old and abused blood-red carpet. Looking around she counted seven doors. As the door squeaked open of the first room, Sofia found herself in a bathroom. The mirror was shattered as she noticed her skewed reflection staring back at her, the bathtub was completely destroyed into pieces. Looking over everything, searching through a small bathroom cabinet she flinched at another strike of thunder. Leaving the bathroom she quickly walked into the next room: the master bedroom. A large bed in the middle, facing floor to ceiling windows which looked over the fields. Bookshelves covered the walls, as she dragged her hand across the dusty shelves. A lush but damaged wooden table stood by the windows. Searching through every corner of the room Sofia once more found nothing which was of use to her, let alone a wristwatch. Coming up to the bed she lifted the covers, coughing at the dust which flew into her eyes. Seeing nothing but mould on the pristine white sheets, she left the room. 

Downstairs, Severus was looking through the main office. He knew the building well. This was once one of Voldermots' favourite locations to meet. When Malfoy's manor wasn't available for whatever reason, he would call for all the Death Eaters to meet here. He enjoyed the contrast between such an outdated building and himself. Always seeing himself as the wizard who would bring over the new, cleansed, modernised, future to the world. Severus walked up to the long table which stood in the middle of the room. He hesitantly ran his hand over the leather chair at which he used to sit. His eyes drifted to the head of the table. Remembering _his_ face. Gritting his teeth, he could as if once more see, some of the things which Voldemort did to muggles and half-blood wizards on that table. How he would force everyone to watch the torture and pain from their seats, and if anyone were to flinch they would always have to take over, knowing that if they were too weak to observe such cruelty which he deemed necessary, they would be next. Turning around Severus proceeded to search the shelves, taking out William Greene's emerald once more. 

Sofia entered another room, which seemed to be a guest bedroom. She noticed that no dampness seemed to be seeping into the room, as there was no sign of mould or any water droplets from the ceiling. A small sized bed was pushed up by the wall with a few cupboards and a wardrobe surrounding it. As she searched every drawer and the wardrobe, she found nothing but trinkets and old clothes. Another rumble of thunder could be heard from above her as she saw the lightning outside, which was now right above the castle. Walking up to the bed she pulled back the sheets. Suddenly she paled, her hand dropping the sheet. In front of her, she saw a coat which was hidden under the covers, a book and glasses. She knew in an instant that none of those items belonged here. Gently picking up the coat, she felt the dampness of the fabric between her fingertips. Dropping it she ran out towards the staircase railing, her heart pounding in her chest. 

"We're not alone Severus!" She could almost feel her lungs bursting at her own screaming. The sound of the rain and thunder completely engulfed the building. Sofia instantly doubted that her voice reached Severus, as she frantically ran down the staircase continuously screaming his name over and over again. Running around the first floor, she opened every door and entered every room in hopes to see him. As she reached a large arc leading into what looked like an old ballroom she saw a figure in the distance, in an instant, she knew it was Severus who seemed to have his back facing her. As she ran up to him she felt his hand grip at her harshly, and pull her behind him. Panting, she looked up from behind him, her eyes instantly met with another man. A tall man, who seemed to be in his late 40s, dressed in black, holding up his wand. 

"Now, who do we have here?" The man smiled, moving his wand towards Sofia who had now pulled herself away from Severus standing by his side. With her wand outstretched in front of her, she examined the man. His eyes were dark, thinned black hair sleeked back away from his forehead. Cocking his head to the side, the man looked back at Severus. "You didn't tell me you had a friend Severus." The man took a step towards Sofia. "Now isn't she pretty?" The man seemed to smile wider, the closer he got to Sofia. In an instant, Severus pushed Sofia to the side as he waved his wand. A flash of light shot at the man as he swiftly deflected it. "Now, now Severus. Is this how you treat an old friend?" 

"Crucio!" She heard Severus yell as the man deflected the spell once more, laughing to himself. 

"I know all your little tricks Severus-" The man smiled again as he lifted his hand. Without Saying a word he swiftly twisted his wrist. Sudden bright flashes of light filled the room as they began to duel. The two men grunted in pain as they slowly walked up closer to each other, continuing to incoherently scream endless spells, which echoed within the empty room. The lights were blinding Sofia. Severus began to visibly tire out as he started to step back. Sofia quickly waved her wand at the man, who deflected her spell with ease. Sofia proceeded to aggressively attack him. Eventually one of her spells had reached the man, forcing him to step to the side in pain. The man turned his head towards her whispering something under his breath which caused Sofia to wince in pain stepping back. Severus broke his concentration from the duel to check on Sofia. The man seemed to have little to no interest in Sofia as he didn't even look at her after she seemed to step back, unharmed. Before Severus could bring his focus back to the man he noticed him swiftly wave his wand. " _Petrificus Totalus!"_ The man yelled as Severus felt his body being tightly bound together as if by ropes. Grunting, Severus attempted to break free with sharp thrusts as the ropes tightened around his chest and arms. The man slowly walked up to Severus, smiling at his attempts. Pushing his wand into Severus' neck he leaned in close to his ear. "The Dark Lord sends his regards."

"The Dark Lord is dead." Severus grunted. 

"That he is, Severus. That he is..." Continuing to stare at Severus the man deflected another one of Sofia's attempts to harm him. Stepping back from Severus he looked over at her. "Fiesty one, you are!" He laughed. Without breaking eye contact with Sofia, he quickly jerked his wand towards Severus. With a powerful force, Severus' body was aggressively thrown against the furthest stoned. With a loud bang, his body quickly met the ground. Sofia yelled another spell at the man as he deflected it once more. She watched Severus' motionless body from the other side of the room as the man transfigured into a black mass. Crashing through the closest window, leaving behind only shards of grass, he quickly disappeared into the black sky. After the man was gone, Sofia rushed over to Severus' body, kneeling by his side.

"Severus?" She whispered as she lifted his head. His eyes were shut as she held his head up placing him on her lap. Sofia's only hope in that instant was that the man which motionlessly laid in her lap was not already dead. "Severus!?" She almost yelled as she pulled his wet hair away from his face. His body was completely limp. "God, I am so fucking useless." She grunted to herself as she leaned in close to his face, attempting to hear if he was still breathing. She felt the familiar burn of tears in her eyes as she watched him lie in front of her. The more she looked at him, the more lifeless he seemed. Up until this point, Sofia did not fully understand how much she had cared for the man. And now, all she wanted was for him to open his eyes and look at her. Feeling something warm on her hand, she looked down. Noticing a pool of blood on the floor she exhaled an exasperated breath, as she clenched her free hand. Steadying her shaky breathing, she shut her eyes in an attempt to apparate back to the inn. At that moment nothing mattered to her; not the people that might see them or the damage that the apparition might do to either of their bodies. She wanted nothing more but to get out of that castle. Shutting her eyes tighter, she prayed that the _want_ inside her was not only strong enough to apparate them but also strong enough for him to live. 


	31. Between Life and Death

Sofia opened her eyes to find herself on the floor of the inn. The same room with the small window, and the dark brick walls. Waving her hand she started a fire in the small fireplace, which instantly lit up the grim room. Severus was still laying on her lap. Carefully placing his head on the floor she bent over once more to see if he was breathing. Leaning close to his face she whispered something, almost begging, for him to breathe. Failing to hear anything she placed her hand on his chest, suddenly feeling it weakly heave.

Gasping, she quickly took her wand out, levitating his body over to the bed. Wiping her hands on her trousers she caught a glimpse of her fingers. Covered in his blood. Sofia's body went into complete overdrive. Adrenalin coursing through every bone in her small body. Her tears were now dry as she walked up to the bed. Conjuring up some water she wiped the dirt from his face. Dragging a chair by the side of the large bed, she sat by his side. She watched his face. His mouth was slightly open, eyes completely shut, skin looking paler than she had ever seen before. Her mind was racing with every single spell she had ever learned or heard. Feeling her heartbeat in her chest, she folded the hands on the bed, resting her head in them as she hyperventilated. Terror overtook her as she realized that if she didn't do something at this moment, he would die. _He would die_ , and it would be her fault. Pulling at her own hair she continued to panic. Getting up from the chair she paced around the room. Her emotions overtook her as she kicked the chair by the bed with a loud grunt. 

"Fuck." She whispered. Sofia thought about attempting to apparate to the Hogwarts infirmary but she knew that then people would start asking questions. And neither Albus nor Severus were ready to answer those questions. People would start to worry, and all due to her own fault of not being skilled enough in heeling. She looked over at him again. Seeing him so helpless and close to death drove her insane. At that moment of complete desperation, seeing the man that she now so obviously cared for completely weak, she remembered a spell. The same spell he had used on her once when the Chimera clawed at her arm. Walking up to the bed she focused. Hard. Trying to remember every single word and movement which he made months ago. Finally, inhaling a single deep breath, she pushed his body to the side. She noticed the blood trickling down into the bedsheets, a huge gash visible on the back of his head. Wincing she took out her wand. Her shaky hand dragged the wand over the wound, repeating the same melodic words he said to her once. Dragging her wand across his head, nothing seemed to change. Grunting she wiped her forehead, she was barely conscious last time she heard this spell be used, how could she manage to recreate it? But Sofia was not someone who gave up easily. Holding up his body to the side, she tried again. This time, channelling every single ounce of power she had inside of her. She wasn't sure if she was capable of healing him. However she was sure of one thing; that she would never forgive herself if Severus Snape were to die, right here, right now, in her arms. Sofia continued to whisper the melody. _Vulnera Sanentur_. She dragged the wand softly over his head. _Vulnera Sanentur_. She continued until suddenly she saw the blood reverse into his body. His wound began to knit together as if all on its own. Her eyes lit up as she continued. _Vulnera Sanentur_. Over and over again, until she was sure that the wound had completely closed altogether. Placing him on his back she sat in the chair, leaning back on it, gasping for air, focusing on trying to calm herself. As she felt herself begin to calm down, she leaned over his body running her hands over it to check if there were any other wounds. To her luck, he only had a few scrapes and buses on his chest. Sitting back in the chair once more she exhaled another breath. Looking up into the ceiling she covered her face with her hands. Suddenly, all the emotions she had managed to hold in, escaped her as she began to wail. Tears streaming down her face as she cried, with nothing but the sound of the fire keeping her company

Eventually, Sofia had gathered herself, almost embarrassed by her own weeping. Wiping the last tear of her check, she watched his calm expression. She could see that his breathing had now steadied. Running her hands over her face once more whilst pulling some hair behind her ears, she got up. Walking over to the fire, she watched the flames dance. With her mind mesmerised by the fire, she realized how tired she was. She no longer focused on who the man was, her father or the object. All she focused on was Severus. _Has she grown to love the man?_ She wondered. Watching the fire, she felt her tight grip ease on her wand as it fell onto the carpet. Catching another quick glance at him she walked up to the bed, her body as if functioning in autopilot. She pulled his boots and his frock off, carefully pulling the sheet from under him, as she covered his body. Looking outside, she noticed that the sun had now set, although it made almost no difference as the whole day had been completely covered in darkness. Huffing, she grabbed the key from the table and walked out of the room. She knew that the mature way to go around this would be to wait for him to wake up, but Sofia was never one for patience. Ignoring her dishevelled appearance, she walked downstairs. She saw the familiar clerk who had been rude to her earlier, sitting behind the desk. Covered in dirt, she placed her hands on the small desk, forcing him to look up at her.

"Do you serve alcohol?" She asked, staring at the man.

"Yes. We serve wine."

"I'd like a bottle." Sofia stated firmly. The man nodded as he went through the back door. Bringing out the bottle he showed it to her. Sofia placed some money on the table as she reached for the bottle. 

"Would you like some glasses, Ms?" The man asked her. 

"No." She responded coldly as she pulled the bottle out of his hands heading back to the room. The man shot her a questionable look as he sat back down behind the desk. As she walked into the room, she had hoped to see Severus awake. Disappointment quickly washed over her as she saw him in the same position as before. Pulling the chair closer to the fire, she lifted the bottle closer to her mouth, planning to pull out the cork. Her hand caught her eye as she noticed the now dried up blood covering her slender fingers, and some of her silver rings. Rolling her eyes, she placed the bottle on the chair, as she walked over to the bathroom. Turning on the water in the sink, she began to wash her hands of the blood, vigorously. As she watched the red-tinted water cover the sink she leaned over it. Feeling the warm water on her hands she felt her heart race again, remembering the man's face from the castle. Looking at herself in the mirror she was met with a ghastly reflection. Her hair and face were covered in dirt from the castle. Her eyes were pale, and some of the veins in her eyes had popped making them completely blood-shot. Turning off the water, she peeked out of the bathroom to check on him once more. _A shower couldn't' hurt_ , she thought. Taking off her clothes she took a quick shower. Washing her hair and her body, in hopes that when she came out she would see Severus' eyes open once more. As she got dressed in her usual sweater and silk trousers she hastily dried her hair with her towel, in hopes that Severus was awake. Walking out of the bathroom she looked at him. To her displacement, he was still completely out of it. Closing her eyes for a brief second she walked over to the lonesome chair by the fire. Grabbing the bottle, she aggressively pulled the cork with her teeth as it squeaked. Spitting the cork on the floor she sat by the fire, sipping the wine straight from the bottle. _Never have I felt more graceful_ , she thought. Watching the flames dance, she continued to drink. 

After she was almost halfway through the bottle, she began to hum. The wine was now hitting her head as she found herself singing aimless melodies as she stared at the fire. She refused to let herself look at Severus as she knew that her consistent looks wouldn't change anything. Taking another swig of her wine she continued to hum. Her humming soon turned into a soft song. She thought of taking her book out, but she knew that she was not in the state to read about Greek Mythology. As she continued to distract herself with another soft song, she heard a grunt. 

"Sofia." She heard his weak gruff voice. Her eyes shot open as she looked back. There he was. Eyes barely open, looking at her, longing for her to come closer. She was never in her life happier to hear someone's voice say her name. Placing the bottle on the carpet she rushed over to him as she felt the wine hit her head even stronger with every movement. She watched as he struggled to sit up. Gently, Sofia pushed him down. As his head hit the pillow once more, he let out a painful grunt. 

"Stay down." Sofia whispered. Severus blinked a few times before his dark eyes met with hers. Sofia gave Severus a small smile as he huffed shutting his eyes. 

"My head..." He spoke in a low voice. 

"You got thrown against a brick wall. Bled out quite a bit. But you're fine now." Sofia reassured him. She felt her body tire out from all the wine as she sat down by the bed. Her arms crossed over the edge of the bed as she leaned on it for support, simply watching him breathe. At that moment, she was completely overjoyed and relieved to just see him with his eyes opened again. To her surprise, she watched as Severus slowly moved his hand towards her, grabbing at her palm. Squeezing it, he looked up at the ceiling. Sofia's fingers gently caressed his, as she held onto his hand. Softly twisting the thick silver ring on his finger as he laid there. 

"When we arrive back at Hogwarts, we have to tell Albus that Magorian Bagshot, is still on the loose."

"I'm presuming he's an old friend of yours." Sofia shot back sarcastically, surprised that he was still capable of speaking about these matters whilst being barely conscious. 

"An old friend of your fathers." He corrected her. Sofia sighed as she shifted on the floor, still holding onto his hand. Leaning her head on the bed she shut her eyes as she felt the pleasant feeling of alcohol coursing through her veins. "You used my spell." she heard him mutter. Without opening her eyes Sofia chuckled.

"Wasn't aware that it was your spell, Severus." She responded. As Severus heard her familiar voice utter his name, he smiled to himself. Letting go of her hand, he slowly moved his hand towards her head which was resting on the edge of the bed. Dragging his fingers through her wet hair he looked at her. Opening her eyes at the pleasant sensation, Sofia looked up at him, as their eyes met she smiled. 

"Have you been drinking?" He spoke in disbelief, as his eyes trailed over to the wine bottle on the floor. 

"You almost gave me a heart attack. I'm sure you'll forgive me for having some wine." She spoke back with a huff. Severus laughed a little before wincing at the pain in the back of his head. He reached over to his head with his free arm as she kissed her teeth at him. "Don't touch it. I worked hard on that." She bit back. Severus squinted his eyes at her as he let his free hand fall back to the bed. For a few minutes, they sat there in comfortable silence. Both watching the fire, Sofia from the floor, him from the bed. Severus continued to softly play with Sofia's hair as she hummed. 

"Are you planning to sleep on the floor?" He questioned. 

"I'd prefer not to." As she responded, she felt his hand leave her hair, now tugging at her arm. Sofia climbed into the double bed next to him as she sat up, leaning her body on the wall. She watched the fire for a second longer, simply listening to him breathe as he laid next to her. She brought her hand to his arm dragging her fingertips across it, feeling at peace. Eventually, she moved her hand on his chest, continuing to caress him as she felt him relax under her touch. "When we're back-" She spoke as she continued to drag her fingers over him. "-I want you to perform Legilimency on me." She felt his body tense as he shifted to look up at her. 

"No-"

"I don't think you're in the position to argue right now." She spoke firmly, without looking at him. "I'm sick of this. Searching for something as if in complete darkness." She sighed. 

"Sofia, are you sure you want to do this?" His raspy voice responded. Sofia could tell that he was no longer arguing, his tone of voice had shifted, now as if concerned.

"Yes. I'll be fine. I don't mind you looking into my mind, as long as it'll help this end." 

"You are more decisive when you drink." Severus spoke as she quirked her eyebrow. 

"Are you making jokes now?" She looked down at him chuckling a little. She saw a soft smile on his face as he tried to pull her down closer to him. "You've danced around death twice. I don't think there will be a third time." She whispered as he pulled her on top of his chest, one arm securely placed over her body. Looking up at him, she suddenly felt his soft lips on hers. The kiss they shared was soft. Filled with more emotion and longing than either of them had ever felt in their lives before. Shutting her eyes, Sofia indulged in the feeling, as did he. As he pulled away she nestled closer into his body, wrapping her arm around his chest.

"As long as I get another dance with you, I will welcome the _third time_ with open arms." 


	32. Legilimency

In the morning the atmosphere was filled with dread. Sofia and Severus were both tense. Severus was feeling stressed to face Albus and admit that he has ultimately failed, and Sofia was anxious to have Severus perform Legilimency on her. She had never practised Oculamancy and was never experienced in it. Sofia was lucky to be one of the few talented witches in which Voldemort never had any interest in, meaning she had no idea what Legilimency felt like. Severus had to reach into the absolute depths of Sofia's mind in order to gather any clue as to where the wristwatch could be.

Severus' head was still aching from last nights events. Every time he ran his hand over the back of his head feeling the now-healed gash, he was reminded of yet another near-death experience. He knew he had to find a way to properly thank Sofia, although right now the only thing he could focus on was figuring out a gentle way to perform Legilimency on her. Both of them knew that this little experiment could either help them or go bad very quickly. Both were now increasingly aware of the mutual affection growing between them. The last thing they needed was for all this to be ruined by invading Sofia's mind. Sofia had nothing to hide from Severus. But nevertheless, she spent the entire morning trying to remember any negative thought she ever had of Severus which in turn could gravely offend him.

The two barely spoke that morning. Sofia was not feeling her best after the wine. Whilst Severus was still feeling lightheaded and nauseous from the pain. As they were leaving, Sofia attempted to split the price for the room, but Severus almost aggressively nudged her, paying the full price himself. Any other day Sofia would have gushed about his almost romantic gesture, but today neither of them were in the mood.

Every apparition got easier for Sofia. Unlike the time where she and Severus went to Azkaban, this time her body felt relieved to be back at Hogwarts. As the two walked up to the doors, they looked at each other, as if acknowledging the obvious melancholy emotion between them. Without speaking they went separate ways. Severus, heading straight to Albus' office.

"Come in," Albus spoke reading over today's newspaper, "Ah, Severus. How lovely to see you. How did everything go?" he smiled, folding up the paper.

"We failed." responded Severus. Albus huffed, as he suddenly noticed Severus pale expression. Furrowing his eyebrows he leaned over his desk.

"Is everything okay, Severus?" He asked.

"Magorian Bagshot. He's alive. You need to contact the Ministry." spoke Severus flatly.

Albus' mouth gaped open, "Did anyone get hurt?".

"Sofia is fine. I have a few bruises. Nothing to be alarmed about." Severus continued.

"That's good news then!" Albus smiled, before placing his arms on the desk."Now... from what I can remember, the next step is you performing Legilimency."

"Yes." Severus bit back, which seemed to catch Albus off guard, forcing him to quickly change his expression into a warning look, as he sensed hostility in Severus tone.

"Severus this is important. I do not want your personal matters interfering with your job." Severus clenched his jaw at Albus' words, making sure to look away from him.

"It will be done. I will report back on anything that we discover." With that, Severus swiftly walked out of the office. He didn't need to be told twice. Neither did he want to hear more of Albus' warnings.

Meanwhile, Sofia was trying to focus on distracting herself. Prior that morning, Severus told her that he would come to get her after dinner for the Legilimency session. She tried to get her mind off it by reading. Then by grading. Eventually, even by levitating her book up and down, _over and over again_. After she had become hopeless and frankly a little concerned for her own sanity, she decided to visit an old friend instead. Knocking on the familiar door Sofia waited as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Suddenly the door unlocked.

"If this is about the deducted point's again Mr Lewis, I have already told you - no," Minerva spoke sternly. It almost alarmed Sofia, as she suddenly felt a shiver remembering the few times she had managed to disappoint Minerva back in the day. "Goodness, Sofie, I didn't realize it was you!" She chuckled as she looked up from her parchment, putting away her quill. "Come sit dear." She smiled ushering her over. Sofia sat across from Minerva as she poured them both tea with a quick flick of her wand.

"How are you?" Sofia's words came out almost shaky as she picked up the warm cup. She wasn't sure what she could talk about with Minerva. She wanted to tell her so badly everything that had happened to her. Between her affection for Severus and the threat, there was a very thin line which Sofia was extremely anxious not to cross.

"Good. And you dear?" Minerva spoke quirking her thin eyebrow.

"Good," Sofia replied dryly.

"How was Inverness Castle?" Minerva smiled taking a sip from her cup. Sofia suddenly choked on her tea. Coughing, Sofia covered her mouth with her palm as her eyes widened. Minerva only smiled. "Albus tells me everything, Sofie. I'm hoping _that_ is the reason you have been avoiding me lately."

"I'm sorry Minerva. I was so worried I would accidentally tell you something I wasn't supposed to..."

"I understand. Now, Albus has told me details regarding your searches and how you've visited your father... how are you handling everything?" Minerva outstretched her hand to Sofia as she gladly took it. Smiling warmly, Sofia reassured her that after the initial shock she was now feeling fine. Sofia told Minerva all the details of every search which Minerva was unaware of. To Sofia's surprise, Minerva seemed more worried about the sea creature than the Death Eater. After Sofia told her everything, she leaned back in her chair, happy to finally get everything off her chest, well, _almost everything_.

"Well, I'm glad you're here right now and not at the bottom of some cave," Minerva laughed, "-now that we have all of that out of the way, I want to hear more about Severus," said Minerva as her thin lips curved into a cheeky smile. Sofia pursed her lips looking around the room.

"Well...you know how he is, always brooding-" Sofia was suddenly interrupted by Minerva's loud scoff.

"You know I don't mean that Sofie, don't take me for a fool." Minerva's smirk curved up even more as she waited for Sofia to speak. Sofia inhaled a deep breath. Biting the inside of her cheek, Sofia leaned further back into her chair. With a deep inhale Sofia proceeded to tell her everything. She was worried she would scandalize Minerva with all the details, especially: the potions storeroom, and the eventful evenings at the inns. However, Minerva only seemed more and more intrigued by her stories. Sofia earned a few _oh's_ from Minerva and even some deep gasps of disbelief. There were a few moments within Sofia's story where Minerva almost seemed worried for her, however she always trusted the girl's judgement.

"-and now he has to perform Legilimency on me. Tonight." Sofia signed as she rounded off the story. Minerva quietly sat in front of her. Three cups of tea in. Her expression was unreadable as she gathered her thoughts.

"I don't believe I've ever felt the full spectrum of human emotion in such a short period of time," Minerva responded as Sofia laughed. "Does he make you happy, dear?"

"He does."

"Do you love him?" Sofia was caught off guard by her question. Laughing uncomfortably, she assumed Minerva must have been joking.

"I hardly believe it's that serious, Minerva." Sofia tried to joke back as she reached for the teapot. Minerva swatted her arm, before sternly looking at her.

"For Merlin's sake Sofia. You saved the mans life! He's opened up the depth of his soul to you... which until today I believed was impossible!" Minerva chuckled. "-from what you've told me, it's more than serious." Sofia rubbed her face with her hands as she listened to Minerva's words.

"I don't know Minerva."

"-and of course Albus had to swoop in with his business of that _threat_. And your father... Merlin, that man has impeccable timing!" Minerva rambled on into thin air as Sofia still focused on her previous question. Minerva continued to talk, mostly about Albus. Sofia nodded, still fixated on _that_ question. Minerva eventually noticed that Sofia was no longer with her. "Sofie-" She grabbed at her hand, trying to catch her attention. "-don't worry yourself too much. I'm sure it will figure itself out."

"Even if I were to care for him, you know him, Minerva. I doubt he-"

"Well stop doubting and trust yourself for once!" Minerva interrupted her, smiling. Sofia softly smiled back. The two continued to ponder about the events of Sofia's personal life. Eventually, they spoke about the havoc which the Gryffindors have been causing during Minerva's classes. After a good few hours, the office was filled with mutual laughter. Sofia almost forgetting all about Severus, the wristwatch, and her father. She was happy to listen to Minerva, more importantly, she was happy to finally have someone to talk to about this. All of this. She was glad that Albus told Minerva everything. She knew that she wouldn't be able to hold it all in any longer, and she didn't exactly want to burden Severus right now.

After spending a lovely few hours with Minerva, Sofia snuck into the kitchen to grab some food. Although she dearly missed Remus and Hagrid, she was unfortunately in no mood to socialize. Even though the conversation with Minerva seemed to ease her troubles, she knew she was not in the right state of mind to see anyone else, especially not any of the students. After eating some food alone in her quarters she quickly felt tired. She had almost forgotten how eventful yesterday was until she felt her head getting heavier and heavier. Falling on her couch she looked outside. The sun was shining over the courtyard as she watched some of the children play. Sofia felt her eyelids getting heavy as she brought her legs up to her chest. Within a mere second Sofia was completely asleep. The day went on without her as she slept soundly. Severus noticed that Sofia was absent during dinner, visibly worried he quickly ate his food before going to get her for their Legilimency session.

Sofia was woken up with two soft knocks at her door. Her head felt heavy as she raised her body off the couch. She was groggy and still dead tired. Looking outside she noticed that the sun was just about to set. Squinting her eyes to look over at the clock, she had realized that she slept all through the better half of the day and some of the dinner. She suddenly heard another two knocks at her door.

"One second," Her raspy voice responded. Getting off the couch she quickly lit the fire in her room for some light. Pulling her hair to one side she stumbled over to the door. As she was greeted by the lights in the hallway she squinted even more. She saw Severus' tall body looming over her in her doorway.

"...Were you asleep?" He spoke in disbelief, cocking his head to the side.

"Maybe," responded Sofia, her voice hoarse from sleep.

"We will do this another time then."

"No no. Please. Give me a minute." Sofia left the door open as she rushed back into her room. Severus watched as she clumsily looked for her wand. Finding it between the couch cushions, she hastily ran to the bathroom to rinse her face with some cold water. Leaving her hair down, she walked back towards the door. "Okay, I'm ready. Are we going to your classroom?" Sofia asked as she shut the door.

"I would prefer my office." responded Severus flatly. The two walked through the elf door, upstairs to the dungeons. Entering his office, Severus gestured for her to sit down on one of the large leather chairs. Sofia braced herself for whatever was coming as she began to feel nervous. Severus took a sip of his whiskey from the glass which was placed above the fireplace. As he saw Sofia shift uncomfortably in her seat, he walked up to her offering her the glass in silence. Sofia gladly took it, taking a few sips of the bitter alcohol.

"I never liked whiskey." She gaged a little as she handed it back to him. Severus smirked at her, placing the glass back above the fireplace.

"Last time I did this. I was teaching Potter Occlumency. Tonight, we have to do the opposite. In order for me to clearly read your mind like a book, you have to be completely relaxed. Instead of controlling your emotions, you have to let them flow inside you. Can you do that, Sofia?" Severus held onto his wand with both hands as he approached her. Sofia nodded as she sighed. Pulling up her leg towards her body she leaned back into the soft chair. Without a warning, she watched as Severus struck his wand. "Legilimens." He spoke softly. Sofia's head painfully shot back. As the ceiling of his office begun to spin and dissolve, different images flooded her mind.

_She watched as Severus brought his face to hers, softly kissing her for the first time. Sofia was filled with confusion, which soon dissolved into pleasure, as she reached her hand out towards his face... suddenly Sofia was facing Severus in his classroom, her body filled with irritation as she catered to his every need, she listened to him belittle her in front of the students...she was filled with rage as she looked into Severus darks eyes across from his desk, during the first time they had their formal meeting. His words raising more and more anger within her, followed by sadness as he continued to doubt her abilities, throwing schedule after schedule at her...sadness and confusion, as she asked Remus if Severus was toying with her..._

Sofia noticed herself detach from the memories as she felt her head shake. Suddenly, she could see Severus' office once again. He stood in front of her, with his wand outstretched almost painfully close to her eyes. Sofia brought her hands to her face before speaking. Watching Severus' expression, she sensed that he was almost _hurt?_ His eyes were soft, but his jaw was painfully clenched.

"You have to go further back Severus." She spoke shakily as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Give yourself a minute Sofia." Sofia was beginning to sweat. She played with her fingers uncomfortably as her head filled with dull pain. She avoided Severus' gaze, proceeding to look at her own fingers instead. "I never toyed with you Sofia." She heard his cold voice from in front of her. Without looking up she shook her head.

"I know." She mumbled.

"I apologize. For our first meeting, and-"

"Severus. You don't have to apologize." Sofia interrupted him harshly. "-if you apologize every time you see yourself like that in my mind, we will be here all night." She bit back raising her head to face him as he rolled his eyes. Without a warning, Severus stroke his wand at her once more.

_She was 16... her whole body filled with rage, hearing the other Slytherins heckle at her from the common room... Phoney Witch, Aspiring Death Eater, Mudblood...she screamed into thin air as she kicked the bed in her dorm...everyone leaving home for the summer holidays as she stayed behind with Minerva...days spent reading and catching up the classes she had missed in complete solitude...she was now 17, her heart fluttered as she felt Arthur kiss her at the Yule Ball...Severus yelling at her during detention as she hid her tears, proceeding to clean the floors of the classroom...dread every time she entered the potions classroom...her hands shook keeping a straight face as Severus knocked an instrument out of her hand for adding too much of this or too little of that..._

The images dissolved again as she felt the warmth of the fire in Severus' office.

"Further back, Severus!" She whined as she gasped for air.

"You have to focus on your father."

"It's fucking hard when you're standing right here." She spat back angrily. All those memories reminded her more and more of the horrible instances from school, a lot of them laced with Severus' presence. Her body was shaking as she trailed the patterns of Severus' carpet with her eyes. It was difficult for Severus to watch her like this, let alone feel the pain that he had previously caused her. That was the issue with Legilimency. Not only did he see everything but he felt exactly what she was feeling in every memory he saw. Her small body was curled up on his chair, one of her legs tapping his carpet impatiently. Her arms wrapped around the other which was bend in the knee, her forehead resting on it. Severus noticed as she quickly wiped a tear from her face. He couldn't help himself as he took a step closer to her, bending over by her side, he took both her hands in his. Sofia raised her head, her eyes meeting his dark ones.

"I'm sorry for all the pain that I caused you. I wish...I wish that I could take it all back." His voice almost a whisper as he finished. Sofia was shocked. She had only heard him apologise so genuinely once before. She could hear in his voice that it was difficult for him to speak. As he held onto her hands he quickly kissed them, one after the other. Sofia squeezed his hands as he got up. "Try to think of your father. The last time you saw him. Or your mother." spoke Severus. Sofia nodded as she took in another deep breath. "Legilimens!" She heard again before the office disappeared.

_She was nine in the forest by her house, following her father around as they picked up some funny looking_ _rocks_ _, her father took out his wand making a small pink flower grow right in front of her eyes...it was her 11th birthday, her father handed her his wand, attempting to teach her some spells as she failed to perform the simplest of tasks...she was older again...the door opened as she almost ran to it, excited to see him.. he hugged her instead of coming in like he usually does, he told her that he had to leave, that the Death Eaters were forcing him into their army and he had to forget her to protect her...she was in her room, now 14, sitting on her bed as she read one of her father's old text books, whispering spells under her sheets, trying to repeat them, she felt frustration_ _surge though her body_ _as she failed with every single_ _attempt_ _...she saw the familiar painting that hung over her bed, a beautiful painting of a red-haired siren, singing some pirates to sleep, over the deep blue sea... 15 now, she felt her body suddenly fill with embarrassment as her mother yelled at her in the kitchen for failing one of her classes at school, the teapot suddenly exploded, the boiling water burning some of the skin on her mother's fingers...she saw Albus Dumbledore in her small living room, explaining to her that her magic abilities were extremely delayed and that she had to come to Hogwarts right away..._

Severus office suddenly became visible to her again. Instead of giving in to the pain and the vigorous shaking of her body, she stared at Severus.

"Sofia, try to-"

"Wait!" She interrupted him. "Do it again. Right now. Do it." Severus was hesitant as he struck her once more.

_She was trying more spells, pointlessly, in her room, sitting up on her bed, she felt the familiar ping of failure in her chest..she sat at the edge of her bed staring at the painting which her father got her because she loved the sea, crying at her failed attempts, she continued to stare at the beautiful siren...stop-_

Sofia heard herself protest in her head. As Severus put down his wand, he watched Sofia's eyes widen. Suddenly, Sofia rapidly jumped up from the chair, gasping for air. He watched as her legs started to give in from under her, failing to support her body. Severus quickly took a step towards her. Outstretching his arms, he held on to her body, holding her up so she wouldn't fall. Before he could ask her what the hell she was doing he noticed a completely bewildered look in her eyes.

**"I know where the watch is."**


	33. A Crack in the Wall

Severus still had his arms firmly laced around Sofia as she stared at him. Squinting his eyes he doubted that what she was about to say would make any sense. 

"Sofia, you need to sit down."

"No. I know where it is." She repeated. Her wide eyes circled the room as she stepped away from his arms. Sofia folded her hands together and held them close to her mouth, her eyes dragging from the floor to Severus' face. She looked pale for just a second longer before the colour in her face begun to come back, pure joy suddenly completely overtaking her. Although her eyes still depicted traces of stress, her face beamed with a wild smile. With a bounce in her step, she walked up to Severus placing a quick kiss on his lips. Severus suddenly became absolutely bewildered instead of her, as he felt her lips on his. As she kissed him he furrowed his eyebrows thinking of how on earth someone could possibly go from being completely frail and helpless to so overjoyed. After Sofia separated herself from Severus, he couldn't help the small smile on his lips as Sofia focused on trying to piece words together. "You did it, Severus."

"I didn't do anything, now would you please explain whatever this is...?" he quirked an eyebrow as Sofia vigorously shook her head. 

"No, you don't understand. The painting Severus-"

"What painting Sofia?" 

"-the painting above my bed" She sighed. "Remember the day that you took me to see my father in Azkaban?" Sofia watched as Severus softly nodded, still utterly confused as to what was going on. "-when I was talking to him, he went on and on about some _siren Sofia_ that he had apparently met when he was at sea." Severus still looked confused as he watched her begin to pace in his office. "My father hated the sea, he was terrified of it. But in that cell, he went on about some red-haired siren... Years ago, he gave me a painting as a gift. It thing above my bed. A painting of a beautiful red-haired mermaid, and a pirate ship. I was overjoyed and-"

"Are you trying to tell me that he was referring to _this_ painting when he was speaking to you in Azkaban?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed. "If this watch was so important to him, even if he were to go completely mad he would still never talk about _'sailing across the Atlantic'_." She mocked her father as she continued to pace around the office. "His mind must have harboured the memories of where he hid the watch in some strange way, that siren must be the only thing that reminds him of the watch." Sofia exhaled as she finished. She waited for Severus to have a euphoria moment like her, or to at least smile but he just stood there, emotionless.

"You are telling me, this whole time, the watch was hidden behind a painting in your childhood home?" Severus was in disbelief and frankly sounded a little annoyed. He folded his arms over as Sofia vigorously nodded at him, almost in excitement. "And here... I have been pointlessly putting myself into almost random locations all over the United Kingdom?" He quirked an eyebrow at Sofia. Sofia could sense that he was agitated, she had hoped his question was just a rhetorical question. She was aware that Severus had spent months trying to figure out where this object was, now months of vigorous work became both useless and resolved in one instant. 

"Well, when you put it like that..." Sofia mused as Severus started to become almost angry. 

"We have to go, now. We need to get it tonight. I will speak to Albus." He stated frantically as he grabbed his wand and headed for the door. 

"Severus what about-" Before she could finish, Severus had already left. She stood there alone in his office, confused, she had hoped for a shower, or maybe some sleep. Feeling a dull ache in her head she rolled her eyes. She knew how important this must have been for him and, well, of course, the impending threat in itself... She sighed as she tried to make herself look presentable before slowly making her way over to Albus' office. Before she could even enter, she heard Albus loud voice, from the hallway. Quickly stepping in, she saw Severus leaning over the desk as Albus looked visibly annoyed. 

"I understand but-"

"But what? We have to go now, what if-"

" _What if_ nothing Severus." Albus raised his voice as Severus stepped back in disbelief, Sofia flinched a little at Albus' harshness. "-you are still a teacher here and so is Sofia. I need you both here this week. You can go on Friday after class. It won't go anywhere between now and then. And if it's not there then it never was." Albus finished as he gestured for Severus to leave. Severus walked out of the office, muttering something to himself as he closed the door behind him. Sofia was left standing in the middle of the room, watching him leave. "I apologise for that Sofie," Albus spoke as she nodded softly, still watching the door. "He will cool off eventually. For now, I recommend you keep an eye on him." Albus smiled as Sofia nodded again. She smiled at Albus as she made her way out of his office. Sofia pondered on whether she should go follow Severus and make sure he was fine. She could perfectly understand where he was coming from; he had been searching for the same thing, without understand its importance, for months. Sofia had only joined him recently and even she was exhausted. She could understand why Severus was so hot-headed and behaved the way he did. As she paused on the staircase, she gripped the railing with her hand deciding whether to go or not. Something inside her told her that maybe she should give him some space. She was already begging to feel that she was overwhelming him with her presence, she worried this might be the last straw. Sighing she turned around and walked back to her quarters, excited for a shower after the gruelling Legilimency session she had done only minutes before. 

Monday morning she had to assist Severus with another class. She tapped her foot on the cobblestone next to him as he gave the students endless instructions in his monotone voice. When he was done, he threw a list of ingredients at her. Confused, and a little hurt, Sofia decided to simply do her job as she collected the ingredients. The rest of Monday's classes went the same way. All of the students noticed that Professors Snape attitude had completely soured. Sofia was becoming increasingly annoyed, as usually between classes he would chat to her, they would eat a meal or two together throughout the day, or he would even invite her into his office to simply sit with him, as he always reminded Sofia that her company seemed to improve his day. Sofia had made multiple attempts to talk to him, and even kiss him, which were all rudely ignored or declined. By Tuesday, Sofia had noticed that he was practically completely ignoring her presence in every situation. There were no more fleeting kisses in the darkness of the dungeons or hidden caresses which she had gotten _oh-so-used-to_. She was begging to get impatient, continuously failing to get his attention, or simply getting him to speak to her. During dinner, he sat next to her at the teacher's table without uttering a single word. Sofia had realized that maybe it was time to try to seriously talk to him about the current situation. After Tuesdays dinner, she made her way to his office to see if he was okay, and maybe talk about Friday's trip. Knocking on his door, she was greeted with an angry _I'm busy_ , from the other side. 

"It's me." Spoke Sofia as she pushed the door open with a soft smile hoping that he had simply mistaken her for a student. She watched as he sipped from a glass of whiskey, writing something in one of his journals. Quickly lifting his eyes from his journal, he ignored her. 

"I said I'm busy." Sofia was taken back by his coarse response. At that moment, it was the last straw for Sofia. His rudeness had finally hurt her, making her snap. She decided that she was no longer going to walk circles around him like some lost puppy. Shutting the door off his office, she clenched her jaw as she walked back to her quarters. _If this is what he wants, so be it_.

Severus was engulfed by his own thoughts. For whatever reason, he decided that shutting Sofia out until Friday, and placing himself in complete solitude were the best things he could do for both her and himself. During his classes, he found it difficult to focus on the smallest of things. Every minute of his day completely riddled with anxiety. As soon as he would have a second away from work or whiskey, his mind would consistently remind him that by Friday, the object might be gone, or worse; this was all false hope, and the object was never there in the first place. There was an annoying voice in his head that constantly told him that Sofia's guess as to where the watch is was completely farfetched. He felt terrible doubting her but he couldn't help himself. This, in turn, drove him to completely shut himself away. He had continually hoped that piling on work and drinking would make the anxiety and stress go away. The first half of the week he barely slept. Twisting and turning in his bed, his mind engulfed by the thoughts of the watch. By Wednesday his lack of sleep started aggressively showing as he began to snap at the students and Sofia. He could see that he was pushing her further and further away. By Wednesday night, he was not only concerned with the watch but also nervous about what he had done to his and Sofia's ' _relationship_ '. He had begun to wonder if any of it was now salvageable, or if she had completely erased him from her mind by now. Becoming now angry with himself he completely shut himself away from any human contact. After teaching Thursday's classes, he spent the whole day in his office with the door locked, driving himself absolutely mad. The thought of endless months of his hard work going completely nowhere ate him alive. A part of his mind was nagging at him to see Sofia. Speak to her, touch her, anything. But he pushed that need further and further back into himself, refusing to show any sort of weakness. Sitting in his quarters after finishing another glass of whiskey, he had decided that he should try to sleep. Miserably failing with every attempt, he began to feel a migraine. The strongest migraine he had felt in years since the war. Sitting up at his desk he decided to try and continue to work, possibly staying up all night in hopes that this would help him stay sane until tomorrow. As he watched the letters on his parchment blur from the pain in his head he angrily pushed himself back from the desk, pinching the beige of his nose in hopes of easing the stress and pain away. 

After being turned away from Severus office on Tuesday, Sofia had filled her time up mostly catching up with Hagrid. She focused on not taking Severus' rude actions towards her personally as she proceeded to silently work by his side. She would catch herself thinking of visiting him in the evenings, but instead, she always refrained herself, even though she had begun to miss him. After spending a few evenings with Hagrid, and some meals with Remus she was able to get him off her mind. Nonetheless, every single night she would feel a little more lonely, hoping that he would come knocking on her door in the late hours of the night. After he had once more ignored her during Thursday's class, she was glad that there was only one day left before this would hopefully get resolved. Even though she missed him, she was becoming increasingly more agitated with his behaviour. After all the trips they had together, and the number of walls she had broken through to get even just a little bit into his mind, to be shut out like day one irritated her. Her annoyance was beginning to become more and more prudent, as she had no idea how to act around him or what would happen next. And frankly, she was begging to feel a little used and forgotten. Sitting in her room, Thursday night, she was thinking of how best to handle tomorrows trip to the house in which she grew up in. She never even had the chance to discuss all the things Severus saw and felt during their Legilimency session. Feeling tired at the thought of this, she decided it was best for her to continue to distract herself. As she read on her couch, she grunted thinking about that callous and insensitive man. Her thoughts were interrupted by two quiet knocks. Sighing Sofia walked over to her door hoping that this wasn't some student issue which she would have to deal with after hours. As she opened the door she saw Severus standing in the hallway, dressed in his sleepwear. A part of her was overjoyed, as all she wanted was to wrap her hands around his neck and kiss him. However, the logical part of her mind caused her to purse her lips after kissing her teeth. 

"Yes?" She spoke flatly. 

"Do you have a minute." He rasped.

"Depends," replied Sofia coldly, still standing in her doorway. 

"May I?" His voice was hoarse, as he nudged his head towards Sofia's room. Hesitating for a second Sofia sighed, stepping out of his way as he walked by her. She checked the hallway to make sure that no students had seen them. Closing the door behind her she turned to face him. 

"What is it?" She asked as she waited for him to speak. Severus stood still in the middle of her room, staring at her. Sofia raised her eyebrows waiting for him to speak. She watched as he looked away from her to scan the walls of her room. 

"May I sit down?" He asked her as she nodded. Severus stiffly sat on the edge of her couch. Walking over Sofia crossed her arms over her chest as she waited. "What if it was never there?" He asked her. Sofia sensed the desperation in his voice. Before she could answer, he spoke again. "Tomorrow, when we get there, what if someone already took it months or even years before us?" He asked again, with annoyance in his voice before bringing his fingers to his temples, painfully focusing on massaging the migraine away. Sofia listened as Severus continued to ask questions, he began to ramble theories on everything that could possibly go wrong tomorrow. Sofia's somewhat angry expression was beginning to ease as she watched the man who had managed to push her so far away, helpless on her couch. She could sense by his words that his mind was as if decomposing in front of her eyes. Sighing, she sat next to him on the couch, attempting to interrupt him as he continued to speak. 

"Severus?" She raised her voice, as he seemed to stop. "Look at me." As he hesitantly faced her, Sofia was once more greeted by his tired eyes. More tired than she had seen them after they visited the first Death Eater house. "Have you slept at all this week?" She spoke softly. Severus ignored her question as he placed his hands over his face. She could hear that his breathing was incredibly deep yet fast. Against better judgement, something pulled her body towards him. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him in. As Severus felt the familiar feeling of Sofia's arms being wrapped around him, he felt himself relax, and melt into her. His migraine was still raging, but he was calmer than he had been this whole week. Sofia caressed his back as he held onto her. 

"My head feels like it is going to explode." She heard him grumble against her. 

"Maybe because you've done nothing but stress about tomorrow this whole week." Sofia bit back as he hummed in response. "Why didn't you come to me sooner?" Sofia caught herself asking. The man seemed more in pain now, than he had been when he was unconscious in Inverness. He ignored her question as he pulled away from her. Sofia bit the inside of her cheek, as she watched him stare outside of her window. "It's close, Severus. I can feel it." She whispered referring to the wristwatch. He nodded without looking at her. Severus took in a deep breath, as he pushed himself on her couch. Sofia was sad to see him so far away from her again. 

"Thank you...for this." He spoke softly without looking at her. "I should be heading back-"

"Is that what you really want?" Sofia interrupted him. 

"No." He replied firmly. 

"Then what _do_ you want Severus?"

"To be closer to you." He spoke again without skipping a beat. Sofia felt her insides pleasantly twist from his words as she felt a smile creep up on her face. Getting up from the couch, she walked up to his tall frame as he continued to stare out into the courtyard. Stepping on her tiptoes, Sofia placed a soft kiss on Severus' lips whilst holding onto his black frock. Severus quickly wrapped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss, pulling her into his body. After a few seconds, Sofia pulled away, resting her forehead on his. "I've missed you." He almost whispered, as she softly lowered herself back to stand flatly on the ground, the height difference between them being almost funny. Pulling her in closer Severus tightly hugged her as she did the same. She felt him sigh from above her, placing a kiss on the top of her head. Sofia pulled away from his arms, walking over to her bed, hearing Severus follow her. Both of them climbed into bed, as Sofia turned off the lamps. Severus found his place on the other side, shutting his eyes, as Sofia impatiently waited for him to pull her in closer to him. After a few moments, Sofia hummed in displacement whilst staring at him. Smirking, Severus roughly pulled her in wrapping his arms around her as she placed her head on his chest. "So needy." His deep voice spoke sarcastically as Sofia's mouth gaped open. 

"Would you like me to remind you of who walked into who's room 15 minutes ago?" Sofia chirped back. 

"Shh." Severus playfully shushed her, tightening his arms around her. He basked in the familiar feeling of having her body so close to his. His migraine begun to ease as he sunk deeper into her soft bed. Severus suddenly realized that he was no longer thinking about the wristwatch, the threat, or William Greene, and his heart was no longer painfully racing with anxiety. The only thing he thought about was how dear and important Sofia was quickly becoming to him. All he wanted right now, was for this feeling to never end, and for her to never leave his side. 


	34. A Black Door

Sofia clutched to her bag as she waited for Severus to meet her at the back entrance of Hogwarts. After their tender evening the night before, he had left in the early hours of the morning, to avoid any students seeing him in Sofia's room. They had decided to meet at the edge of the grounds before apparating to Sofia's childhood home. Sofia was wracked with anxiety as she hasn't been home in years. After her mother had passed, she was reluctant to visit that small house again. She was never huge on moving on from the past, therefore, she simply never came back to visit, worried that it would resurface the grief that she worked so hard on pushing away. So after the funeral, she turned off the gas and electricity to avoid bills, and never looked back. As she continued to fiddle with her bag and the small silver rings on her fingers, she heard footsteps behind her. 

"Do you need help apparating?" 

"No. I remember it well." Sofia mumbled as she outstretched her arm to Severus. Severus was also a little nervous. He had been worried about the watch for so long, that he simply couldn't believe they were so close to finding it. Or so close to discovering that it was never there. As soon as he touched Sofia's arm he felt his mind separate from his body as they apparated. When he felt his feet touch the ground he huffed fixing his shirt and taking in the surroundings. Suddenly, his breath hitched in his throat. 

"Where are we?" 

"English Midlands. It's a small town, I'm sure you wouldn't have heard of it." 

"Hm." Severus hummed as he continued to look around, squinting. It was obviously an industrial town as the sky could barely be visible from the thickness of the factory smoke. Sofia started to walk in front of him as he followed her small footsteps. With every building he noticed, he silently prayed that he was mistaken as to which town this was. He took in the broken streetlamps and dull brick houses which were built as if on top of each other. But as Sofia turned the street he could no longer deny his intuition. Only for a second did he manage to catch a glance of the street name: _Spinner_. He suddenly stopped in his tracks mesmerised by the street sign. 

"Everything okay?" He heard her soft voice before she looked back. 

"Yes." He muttered. He could no longer deny where he was. The town they were in was Severus childhood home; Cokeworth. Only a minutes walk from where he was standing was his own small house. He decided that now was not the time for such a discussion as he followed Sofia down endless dark narrow alleyways. He felt a shiver go down his spine as he walked on the familiar dull streets, images of his lonely childhood flashing in his mind as he proceeded to ignore them. 

"Here." Spoke Sofia as she hesitantly walked up to a small black door. The black paint was peeling off the edges. Huffing, she took the rusty key out of her bag. But before she could open the door, her right hand began to shake. She had suddenly realized how long it has been since she stood on her own doorstep. She saw the small kitchen window by the door which was covered by yellowing curtains. Suddenly she saw a flash of her mother cooking in the kitchen. Gasping she dropped the key on the ground. She looked into the small window again, but alas she saw no one there. Biting the inside of her cheek she had almost forgotten that she dropped the key. 

"Allow me." She heard his deep voice from behind her, as Severus picked up the key and unlocked the door for her before pushing it open. Sofia stepped into the grey hallway, Severus following closely behind her. Sofia looked to the right seeing the remains of the kitchen in which she had once accidentally burned her mother. In front of her, was the tiny living room with an ancient Television propped up on a small stand. There was a hideous green couch at the edge of the room, which was now beginning to darken and almost rot from the lack of care. Stepping deeper in, she saw some of her old photographs. A photograph of her father, her mother, and her, when she was merely 7 years old. Sofia was quickly finding it hard to breathe as she continued to walk through the living room. On the small table between the couch and the Television, she noticed some old magazines dating back to 1999. She kissed her teeth as she pushed them aside, finding a newspaper dating only a few years later. _Must have been the last newspaper she read_ , Sofia thought to herself. Sofia started to feel hot tears welling up in her eyes, but before allowing herself to relish in the past a little more, she remembered why she had come here in the first place. Turning around she noticed that Severus was also curiously walking around her small living room, mostly taking in the photographs. He seemed to be gazing at a photograph of her young father for a little too long. 

"My room is on the second floor," Sofia spoke quietly, as Severus straightened his back. He followed her up the narrow carpeted staircase. The second floor was tiny. There were only three doors there, one of which was pink. Sofia noticed that her mothers bedroom door was open, as she peeked in, a large rat ran across her feet down the staircase. Rolling her eyes she shut the door, not allowing herself to go any further in as she knew what the end result would most likely be: tears. Sofia swiftly stepped across the hallway and turned the doorknob of her old bedroom, the rusty doorknob squeaked as she walked in. Severus leaned on the doorway as Sofia stood in the middle of her tiny room, taking in the familiar surroundings. Severus wanted nothing more than to turn the room inside out for the watch, but he knew it was best to leave her be. He noticed a few muggle books lying around on the floor, toys, some music sheets, a few of her sweaters, and a pair of red heels thrown in the corner. He also noticed another photograph of Sofia and her mother perched up by the window. It was strange to him, as the room looked like an abandoned mix between a child's bedroom and a teenagers room. Letting out a deep sigh, Sofia climbed onto the dusty single bed and edged over to the painting. Unlike the rest of the house, the painting looked vibrant and almost new. She dragged her fingertips over the bumps in the oil paint as she trailed the sea waves and the brown pirate ship. Glancing at the red-haired singing siren, she reminisced on her childhood for a second. Placing her hands on either side of the golden frame she clenched her palms pulling the heavy painting of the stained wall. Before moving the painting delicately to the floor, she quickly glanced at the wall. To her relief, she saw a carefully carved out rectangle within the wall. The area of the wall which was previously covered by the painting seemed pristine white as if no dirt had ever touched it. She glanced back at Severus who looked like he had seen a ghost. Without being able to wait any longer, she shoved her arm inside the opening, which seemed to be way deeper than she had anticipated. With her fingertips, she felt the crumbles of the drywall as she reached in further into the wall. Suddenly her hand met with what seemed like a smooth box. Carefully, Sofia struggled to pull the box out, eventually edging it out and placing it on the bed. Severus walked over closer to her to examine it. Both of them were greeted by a dark oak jewellery box which had a visible lock. 

"Maybe the key is-" But before Severus could finish Sofia's impatience drove her over the edge as she quickly pulled out her wand and waved it causing the box to almost explode open. "-Or that." His deep voice muttered as he questionably raised an eyebrow at her. Inside, both of them finally saw what they had been endlessly looking for these past few months. A gold watch. The strap was made out of black Aligator leather, the golden face of the watch glistened, still working perfectly, ticking with the correct time. Sofia reached out her hand to Severus, who quickly passed her the Death Eater emerald. As soon as the emerald was in close proximity with the watch it began to visibly shake and vibrate, almost hurting Sofia as she pulled it away. Neither of them said a word as Sofia gently pulled the watch out of the box. She felt the watch heavy in her hands, as she observed it more. Sofia felt strange dark energy around the whole room quickly beginning to feel nauseous. 

"Take it." She spoke firmly handing the watch over to Severus. Severus quickly hid the watch in the pocket of his trousers, before shutting his eyes in quick relief. Sofia proceeded to stare at her dirty bedsheets. She was expecting to feel joy, relief, happiness, anything but what she was feeling right now. 

"Come on." Severus nudged her as he was begging to notice that she was about to completely spiral out. Sofia nodded as she climbed off the bed. When they reached the bottom floor, Severus began to head for the door before Sofia stopped in the middle of the living. She walked up to the small shelf which had endless photographs of her as a little girl and mainly her father. She dragged her hand across the shelf as Severus patiently waited for her. 

"I want you to tell me about him." 

"Now?" Severus monotone voice was almost laced with annoyance as he reached for the doorknob.

"Yes. Tell me everything. Here. So that when I leave this place for the last time, I will never have to look back." She watched as Severus was about to protest. "You promised." She spoke with confidence as he seemed to give in, moving away from the door, into the living room. Sofia and Severus walked over to the dirty green couch. Sofia leaned back with her arms crossed over her chest as Severus sat on the edge. 

"What would you like to know?" 

"Everything you remember," she spoke, staring blankly at one of the photographs on the shelf. There was a second of painful silence before Severus began to speak.

"William Greene was an extremely talented Wizard. He was well known by almost everyone in our world including Albus, who offered him a job multiple times at Hogwarts. He had extraordinary duelling skills, therefore he suited the D.A.D.A job. When The Dark Lord was gathering his army for the second time, he knew that he needed Greene. Usually, the Death Eaters seek out other wizards to join, however-" Severus paused quickly glancing at Sofia, making sure not to upset her too much with this information. "-Greene sought out The Dark Lord himself. I remember it like it was yesterday. He came with some ridiculous speech about how much he admired him and how he thought The Dark Lord was the Wizarding future. I did not speak to him that day, I avoided him at all costs. I had no interest in him or his obsessions. He seemed more convinced in what he believed than Voldemort-" Severus sighed again at the mention of The Dark Lord's name. Sofia patiently waited for him to continue. "Soon enough he had joined _us_ ," Severus spoke the last word with disgust in his voice. He subtly gripped at his own arm where Sofia knew the dark mark was. "When he received the dark mark, he became more obsessed. Always staring at it, smiling, almost showing it off behind closed doors. He disgusted me. From then, he was always incredibly proud of the things he did for the cause-"

"What things?" Sofia interrupted him. Severus paused again, debating whether or not to continue. 

"Murder. Torture. He was one of the few people who seemed to truly enjoy it like some sort of sport, most of the Death Eaters did their job to please The Dark Lord, but he seemed different." 

"Did you ever get closer to him, In any way at all?" 

"No. Greene quickly grew to despise me. The Dark Lord always favoured me, as I had been 'spying' for him for years. He seemed to trust me the most. That always angered Greene. He would always try to undermine me and turn The Dark Lord against me, trying to expose me. He always had a feeling that my allegiances lied with someone else. I was consistently tested but eventually, he failed. Last time I saw him was just before I almost died. He was there when Nagini stroke me. Laughing. -" Sofia watched as Severus continued to talk. Somehow, he did not struggle to tell her the rest. This conversation was nothing like the last time that they had spoken about the war. Severus seemed to be detached from his words. Speaking purely factually. There was absolutely no emotion in his voice. He proceeded to tell Sofia about some of her father's murders, how he had grown to fall in love with Bellatrix Lestrange who was then married against her own will. Severus told her about the affair, and how over the years her father became more and more obsessed with the pure-blood mentality. How he was always almost excited to murder muggle-born wizards and praised Bellatrix for her infamous murder of Sirius Black. Sofia patiently listened to everything Severus had told her, down to the last detail of every drop of blood her father had spilt. When Severus was finished he looked back at her as she continued to stare at one of the photographs. Sofia was glad that she had asked Severus about all of this now. Deep inside she knew that he was right not to tell her earlier as she simply wouldn't have been ready. But now, after seeing him in Azkaban and letting him out of her heart over time, she was almost relieved that all of this took place without him even remembering who she was. 

"And he never mentioned me? Not once?" She reassured herself. 

"There were rumours that you were his child. The rumours were often discussed in _The Daily Prophet_. But he always denied it. Albus and I contacted your mother to confirm it simply for your safety; in case the death Eaters would come looking for you. Later in court, it was discovered that he had obliterated you from his memory because he was obsessed with not having any relations to muggles, let alone a 'half-blood' child. Some of the other Death Eaters believed that perhaps the reason as to why he never became the most trusted advisor was because The Dark Lord believed those rumours. But since William Greene was convinced you didn't exist he turned his rage towards me" Sofia sighed. She leaned further back into the couch grunting with displacement. 

"And then somewhere in the process, he went completely insane?" 

"Yes, although I am unsure when or how. In court, he was declared criminally insane." Severus sighed. "-I'm afraid that's all I know Sofia." He spoke, leaning back on the couch next to her. 

"Well, I suppose this is more than I'll ever know. Thank you." Spoke Sofia shutting her eyes as she leaned on the back of the couch. Severus moved closer to her. He had felt a weight lift off his chest: both from the conversation and of course finally finding the watch. With her eyes still shut, Sofia felt Severus' pull her body closer to his. Leaning her head on his shoulder she looked out into her living room. Both of them watched as another massive rat ran across the floor of her living room. "Well isn't this just romantic?" Sofia smiled looking up at him. Severus hid his smirk, as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in closer. 

"Do you want to talk about your mother?" Severus spoke softly as he caressed her open palm with his fingers. Sofia muttered a soft 'later', before squeezing his hand. "What was it like growing up here?" Severus asked her nonchalantly. He was trying to find a way to bring up the fact that his house was only a few streets down from hers. Sofia furrowed her eyebrows. 

"It wasn't too bad. My mother always tried to make the best of it. I mean, you saw my memories... Most of the time my friends and I would try to get as far away from the smoke as possible. I spent most of my childhood a few miles away from this house. There is a river not too far from here. If you would walk up the river you would start to see green. A massive field of green. And a forest." Sofia chuckled before continuing. "-There was this terrifying large tree with-"

"-with three trunks as if growing from one." Severus reluctantly finished her sentence. Sofia's eyes widened as she pulled away from him. 

"You've... been here before?" 

"I grew up here. Just like you did." Sofia looked at him confused as she analysed his soft expression. She stared at Severus, nudging her head to the side. 

"Are you serious?" she spoke in disbelief.

"Quite. I spent most of my days reading under that tree with-" Sofia watched as Severus' eyes suddenly darkened with what seemed like sorrow. 

"-with Lily." She almost whispered. She looked down at the ground, as she clasped her slender fingers together. She had expected him to pull away, or quickly become distant again. After all, she was an incredibly important part of his life and the absolute love of his life. But to her surprise, Severus simply leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. Before she could wrap her head around everything that was happening he abruptly stood up. 

"We had to deliver the watch to Albus. And maybe we could find some time to celebrate, just you and I-" but before Severus could finish, Sofia interrupted him. 

"Wait, wait, do you still live here?" 

Severus sighed, playfully rolling his eyes at her: "Yes, my house is on Spinner's End." Sofia scoffed at his answer.

"That is a godawful street if you ask me!" 

"They are all equality horrible here, Sofia, now come on." Severus smirked at her, stretching out his arm. Before taking his hand Sofia paused for a second deciding whether or not she should ask him what she was now dying to do. 

_"Could you show me your house?"_


	35. Spinner's End

After turning another corner, Sofia followed Severus who was quickly making his way through the small depressing town. He seemed in an obvious rush to get this over with. Sofia was worried that she might have pestered him a little too much for his liking. After a bit of time, Sofia noticed as Severus stopped at a doorstep. Taking out a key, he unlocked the door. Before entering, he looked at Sofia who seemed very over-excited. Moving to the side, he gestured for her to walk in first, which impressed Sofia as she didn't expect such a small yet chivalrous gesture from him. Smiling she walked inside the small house. The house eerily reminded her of her own, except darker. The living room had a small fireplace and a table as it seemed to be an adjoined study. The walls were lined with endless bookshelves. The kitchen was small yet somehow to her it seemed extremely warm and welcoming. The house was built exactly like her own. Growing up, she had assumed that all the houses in the area were almost identical on the inside, except for, of course, each owner's personal flair. She noticed the small staircase leading to the second floor. Slowly walking in, she noticed that Severus was still standing in the doorway. 

"Are you going to show me around?" Sofia spoke, raising her eyebrows. With a small grunt, Severus entered his own house and muttered the rooms under his breath; 'kitchen', 'living', 'bedroom upstairs'. After realising that this was the extent of a house tour Sofia would get she hesitantly responded, "Lovely,". She could feel see that Severus was very tense, although she couldn't understand why. 

"Let me show you upstairs," Severus muttered before swiftly walking up the staircase. After showing her the guest bedroom, he walked her over to his own room. Opening the door, Sofia was greeted by a small room, which had a dark wooden wardrobe and a double bed, with a single tall lamp standing in the corner. It looked incredibly sad and lonesome to her, but there was no chance she would comment on that. 

"Huh." She softly spoke. 

"Yes?" Severus responded questionably. 

"Oh no, nothing. I'm just surprised," spoke Sofia. Severus gave her a confused look. "I was expecting a black coffin." Sofia finished off with a smile, hoping to lighten the mood. 

"Funny," Severus muttered under his breath again. At this point, Sofia was sure that something was visibly wrong. Turning around she faced him, as he continued to stare out into his own room. 

"We can leave. I'm sorry I asked you to come. I shouldn't have-"

"-It's not that," Severus cut her off. "This house is laced with some difficult memories, that's all," Severus spoke coldly. Sofia tugged at his shirt for him to look at her. As soon as their eyes met his expression softened. Sofia stood on her tiptoes to reach him as she placed a soft kiss on his lips. Severus arms quickly found her waist and pulled her in closer. They continued to softly kiss in his doorway for a second longer before Sofia pulled away, gently dragging a finger over his cheek. Severus leaned into her open palm for a second, before softly pulling it down. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving!" Sofia whined. Severus let out a deep chuckle and ushered her downstairs. 

"I will make us some food. After we eat, we need to go back immediately to bring Albus the watch." Severus walked into his kitchen and began gathering some food and utensils from the cupboards and the fridge. He pulled out some chicken, a few spices, some vegetables and a pan. Sofia watched intently as she stood in the archway of the kitchen. 

"I remember you saying something about celebrating together..." Sofia smirked. Severus paused in his movements. Without turning around he spoke. 

"Yes..." He seemed taken back at her bold announcement. "I was hoping we could spend some time together, without going through caves, castles, or the dread of teaching." He finished, turning on the heat of the stove. 

"Ah. A date with Severus Snape himself. I believe somewhere out there, Minerva is simply sizzling with excitement." Sofia laughed. Severus shot her a quick look of absolute menace before continuing to season the chicken. 

"Stop distracting me unless you want me to poison you. Go look through the books in my study, I believe you will enjoy some of them." Sofia didn't have to be told twice. She hated cooking with a passion, and she was just happy that he didn't ask her for any help. Walking back to the living room and study Sofia began to slowly examine the bookshelves. She read the names of the books one by one, squinting in order to see the thickest books on the top shelves. Nothing seemed to tickle her fancy until her hand stopped at a particularly old cover. Her eyes went wide as she struggled to pull the thick book out. It was an original copy, signed, of all of the rarest potions ever created, with detailed instructions on how to brew them. The book was extremely heavy in her arms as she quickly walked over to his desk. She knew this book well, she was practically obsessed with it, however, she knew it was ridiculously expensive and impossible to find. She had been begging every single bookkeeper throughout her career at Hogwarts for this book. At one point, Irma at the Hogwarts library got so annoyed with her pestering requests to order this book that she considered banning Sofia from the library altogether. The red cover of the book was soft to the touch, as she ran her fingers over the golden embroidery. Sitting down at Severus' desk, she opened it and began to intently read the table of contents. Her eyes hungrily scanned every single potion, some of which she had never even heard of before. She was simply amazed at the fact that she had finally caught a glimpse at such an iconic book. Sofia scanned through the different chapters of the book to find it filled with endless scribbles of Severus notes. At first, she felt a little annoyed that he would ruin such a rarity. But after reading his notes, it almost became more valuable to her. She continued to read one of the potions instructions before out of the corner of her eye she saw Severus enter the room. 

"This is incredible." She whispered. 

"Ah, I see you've found the Greek mythology shelf-'

"No!" Sofia smiled, continuing to scan the pages. Severus cocked his head to the side as he placed one of the plates at the desk and the other next to the comfortable armchair which stood by the fireplace. Looking over Sofia's shoulder he scoffed as he noticed what she was reading. 

"That? That is what you seem to be so excited about?"

"Merlin, Of course! I have been searching for this book for years. There are only what? 150 copies that exist. _Firenze Brown_ is simply amazing." Sofia continued to gush. "-and this one is even signed!" 

"I am very aware Sofia. I met him at _The Hog's Head_ in Hogsmeade when he was visiting Dumbledore. I happened to have a copy and asked if-"

"You've met him?!" Severus was once more taken back by her excitement. Before he could speak, Sofia continued to ramble on about the incredible accomplishments of _Firenze Brown_. She went on and on about how he became the youngest wizard ever to release a research best-seller, his endless awards and his charisma. Severus was begging to feel a little jealous as she proceeded to compliment the man. "-he is simply the best potions master which I have ever heard or read of!" Severus was now very aware of the jealousy he was feeling as his face began to twist into quite a sour complexion. Sofia obviously seemed to notice this and bit the inside of her cheek shutting the book. "-except you of course..." She attempted to improve the situation, batting her eyelashes at Severus who gave her the most prolonged eye-roll she had ever seen. 

"The food is getting cold. Eat." He spoke, finding his place across from her on the soft chair. Sofia turned her chair to face Severus as she began eating. She watched as Severus chewed his food, with the same sour expression, almost angrily eyeing the red book which was placed on the table. 

"This chicken is amazing. Thank you, Severus," Sofia attempted to indulge in a conversation, realizing that she might have bruised his ego by gushing about the writer for a little too long. Severus simply nodded at her and continued to eat his food. "Are you jealous?" Severus suddenly froze. Swallowing his food, he leaned back in the chair, his face quickly becoming expressionless. 

"Of what? His lack of attention to detail, or the endless mistakes in his instructions." Severus bit back. 

"I have to admit, your notes make this book way more interesting." Sofia complimented him as Severus hid his smirk continuing to eat. The two finished their food in silence. Sofia still feeling grand from witnessing Severus like _this_ over her. As the room filled with silence, Severus cleared his throat turning his head towards the bookshelf. 

"There is a book I think you'd like on the third shelf over there." He pointed at the corner. Sofia got up and walking around his chair, she reached up towards the navy leather-covered book. Muttering the name to herself her eyes lit up once more.

"This is the extended version of the mythology book that my mother used to read to me, the one I always carry around..." She whispered as Severus nodded. Sofia placed herself on the armrest of the chair as she proceeded to read the title of every chapter out loud, getting excited at the mention of any creature of which she hadn't even heard about before. Severus was extremely pleased with himself. Although he wasn't completely happy with the fact that he took the woman he had so much affection for to such a dull and unpleasant house, he was happy that he could offer her something that made her eyes light up. "-merlin, Severus, could I take it?" Sofia spoke. Severus raised his eyebrows, eying her from the chair. 

"It's a very rare book. I think it would take some convincing for me to give it up." As Sofia's mouth gaped open, Severus quickly pulled her by the arm into his chair. With a small gasp, Sofia fell onto him laughing. She found herself comfortably sitting on top of his body, inches away from his face. Severus was smirking as he pulled the book out of her hand and placed it on the side table. Sofia devilishly smiled at him as she brought her face closer to his. Softly, she began to kiss his neck. Severus gently ran the tips of his fingers over her legs as she laid on him, relishing in the pleasure of having her this close to him once more. Sofia continued to tenderly kiss his neck, before meeting his lips. One of her hands was placed on his chest as she deepened their kiss. Softly biting his lip, she could hear him quietly groan in pleasure, tightly pulling her closer. Pulling away, Sofia examined his expression. His face was soft, as his tired eyes watched her with a small smile. 

"And now?" She smirked at him. 

Severus huffed a little before speaking; "I was planning to give it to you anyway, Sofia," Sofia playfully shook her head in disapproval, before pulling her legs up closer to her body on his lap, and laying her head in the nook of his neck. Severus held her close as they stayed there for a while, in complete comfortable silence. 

"Do you believe there is a legitimate threat?" spoke Sofia quietly.

"Truthfully, not." 

"I hope you're right." Groaned Sofia. Severus hummed in response before shutting his eyes and leaning his head back on the armchair. 

"Thank you." He muttered as Sofia furrowed her eyebrows at him. 

"For what?" 

"For bringing some brighter memories into this house." Sofia couldn't stop herself from smiling as she laced her arm around his torso. She didn't want to get up. And neither did he. The two were so comfortable next to each other that both of them softly drifted into a light sleep even though it was merely a little past midday. Both were exhausted from the constant stress. Severus could finally relax his mind after fining that cursed object, and Sofia knew that she could once more put her past behind her as she had successfully done for the past few years. After only a half an hour of this trance, Sofia stirred on top of Severus which cause him to open his eyes. "What is with all the moving?" He asked her almost annoyed. 

"I need to know why this watch is so important."

"Of course you do," Severus replied. "You always need to know everything," he stated matter-of-factly. 

"Yes. And don't act like it annoys you. I remember when I was a student I was the only one who always asked you endless questions about every potion. And you loved answering them, no matter how much you pretended not to." Severus grunted at her quick wit, smiling. Sofia placed one last kiss on his neck before climbing off him, fixing her clothes and retying her hair, which seemed to be in a state of an absolute mess. With a swift flick of his wand, Severus sent the plates to clean themselves in the kitchen. Sofia made sure to grab the navy mythology book and shove it into her bag, before beginning to clean up the rest of the living room by stacking some of the books back and straightening up everything on the desk. Severus watched her patiently, as she continued to clean. He let her clean up a little longer before attempting to pull her away. 

"I should invite you here more often." He spoke as she continued to clean. Sofia rolled her eyes, quickly stopping whatever she was doing. 

"Very funny." She bit back as he smiled at her before outstretching his arm to her as they apparated back to the Hogwarts grounds. Sofia's arm was placed around Severus' as they walked towards the main door. As Sofia spotted some students in the courtyard she quickly yanked her arm away from Severus and took a step to the side, eyeing the students cautiously, hoping that none them noticed anything strange. 

"I am consistently amazed at how inconspicuous you can be," Severus spoke sarcastically.

"I didn't see you making any kind of effort. You know how they are." 

"Most of them are second years. They don't notice anything but themselves."

"They're the dangerous ones. They have no shame. They ask me during almost every class if I'm dating someone or if I'm married...They always have some crazy theories." Sofia laughed nervously, as they turned the corner towards Albus' office. 

"Amuse me."

"Well, the last class, they were convinced that I was married to Filius, simply because I greet him every morning." 

"I believe he might be a little old for you." Sofia scoffed at Severus, but before she could open her mouth, Severus strictly raised a finger at her. "Don't even _think_ of saying whatever snide comment you're currently thinking." Sofia tried to stifle her laughter before both of them walked into Albus' office. 

"Hello, Sofie, welcome Severus." Both of them nodded as they walked over to his desk. Severus quickly took out the watch and placed it in front of Albus. Albus' eyes went wide as he began to examine the watch. "I must say, I am not surprised considering how dedicated both of you have been throughout this stressful time." Sofia and Severus stood in front of him, waiting impatiently for the man to continue to speak. "I assume you would like to know it's importance?" Albus quirked an eyebrow.

"Yes." Both of them replied in unison. Albus smiled a little before unlocking a drawer and pulling out a crooked light brown wand. 

"That was my fathers," Sofia whispered. 

"That is correct Sofie. I have been keeping it safe. It is laced with some of the darkest magic which I have ever seen." As Albus took it out, the watch suddenly started to violently shake on his table. Albus slammed his hand over the watch, as it continued to vibrate. "Just as I had suspected..." Albus mused before placing the wand back into the locked drawer. As soon as the wand was locked away the watch stopped vibrating. "Now. As I am sure you are both aware, William Greene is still in Azkaban. I have been interrogating him and the other Death Eaters which are currently locked there. What I have found out so far, is that this watch was cursed by Voldemort." Sofia bit the inside of her cheek as she continued to listen. "From what I understand, Voldemort was almost as close with Greene as he was once with Severus. After further interrogations, I have discovered an old spell-" Albus pulled out a thick book from the side of his desk and opened it, dragging his finger across the yellow pages "This spell, allows a wizard or witch to trap someone's sanity within an object. A mind-prison, if you please. After the object is cursed it is hidden away. From what it says here, as soon as the object is reconnected with its owner, the owner will become sane once more. Ridding themselves of any spells or dark magic which has been placed on them or altered their mind in any way throughout their life." Sofia's eyes suddenly went wide as she continued to listen. "I am assuming before Voldemort died, he had said something to Greene about a threat which he had planned, even postmortem. And for him not to somehow give that up to the Ministry during the trial, he took his sanity."

"Why would Voldemort hide this object in Sofia's house?" Spoke Severus 

"I am unsure. However, if we can bring this object to William Greene, and it works, he might regain his sanity, and perhaps tell us more. Either way, Voldemort obviously didn't want something to be known if he went to such lengths." 

"This does not make sense if-" Before Severus could finish his sentence, Sofia interrupted him.

"Could this reverse any memories which were once obliterated?" Her voice was begging to shake. She was unsure of what she was truly feeling. After everything Severus had told her she was glad that her father did not remember her. However, as soon as the opportunity for him to become sane once more arose, something inside her seemed to change. 

Albus let out a deep sigh before hesitantly taking Sofia's hand in his, "Yes." 


	36. Untamed Emotions

"Thank you, Albus," Sofia hesitantly pulled her hand away from his grasp. "I'm sure you can discuss the next steps with Severus. However, if you'll excuse me, I need some air-" Sofia began to ramble as she quickly got out of her chair. Both the men watched her as she scrambled towards the door of the office.

Albus politely tried to stop her as she could rush out, "Sofie, you have been a part of this-".

"I know Albus." Sofia sighed as she reached for the door. "-I'm sure Severus can catch me up with everything whenever he has a free moment. But for now, I need to go." Sofia didn't let either of them say another word as she quickly shut the door. The rush of adrenalin quickly left her body as she felt her arms drop as soon as she closed the door behind her. Her body went cold. Her lips were pursed, and her eyes were glass as she slowly walked down the cobblestone hallway. Nothing but the sound of her heels hitting the ground surrounded her. The voices of the students muffled around her as she continued to walk, to the click-clack of her heels. Like an annoying ticking of a clock, or a loose faucet dripping onto her brain. When Sofia finally made it to her room, acted on autopilot, taking off her shoes and her clothes, hopping into the shower. After her shower, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her expression was completely pale, emotionless, somehow reminding her of Severus. _What am I meant to do now?_ She caught herself thinking. After changing into some clothes she walked over to her Potion's textbooks, attempting to busy her mind so the emotions couldn't overtake it. But as soon as she opened the first page she simply froze. Failing to comprehend any of the letters on the page. _How can I face him when he remembers me?_ She felt another fleeting thought. Shutting the textbook she got up deciding to clean her room a little. But as soon as she began straightening the pillows on her couch she froze again. _He's a monster. I don't want him to remember me._ Another thought. She knew she could no longer blindly discard the information which Albus had given her, so she decided to sit down and think. Possibly attempting to process everything. She sat up awkwardly straight, on her couch, facing the windows. She felt like time was moving slower than it had ever done before. She suddenly flinched as she heard two harsh knocks on her door.

"Come in." She faintly spoke. She heard as someone roughly opened her door. She knew in an instant that it was Severus. She could feel the anger in his step as he approached her.

"You can _not_ just run out of every unpleasant conversation that you encounter, Sofia." Severus was visibly annoyed as he marched in front of her. For a second Sofia stayed silent. She looked out into the courtyard before softly turning her head towards him. Severus watched as her glass eyes scanned his face.

"I didn't want to hear the rest."

"This is now the second time that I've had to rush out of his office to follow you." Sofia was taken back by Severus' somewhat unexplained anger. He seemed to be holding something back, but before she could decipher his annoyance he continued. "-You have to stop behaving like a-"

"Like a what?" Sofia nudged her head to the side, clenching her jaw at him.

"Nothing."

"Go on Severus. Like a what? A child? Is that what you wanted to say?" Severus was suddenly very aware that he had once more touched a nerve.

"Sofia..." Severus muttered, towering over her. "This is very important to Albus, and possibly the safety of Hogwarts. You need to learn to control your emotions-"

"Control my emotions!?" Sofia yelled. Severus' eyes widened a little as he watched her quickly get off the couch. "Control my fucking emotions?! Are you serious?" She barked back, waving a hand at him. "Do you have the slightest clue as to what I might be feeling right now!?" Sofia took another step closer to Severus, eyes now full of unexplainable rage. Dark enough to make even Severus afraid. He kept up his natural cold expression, however the closer she got to his face the more he wondered if the best thing for him to do for her right now was to simply leave. "Of course." She chuckled sarcastically. "Of course...I see what this is. You want me to be more like you, is that it?" She threw her hands up again. "Because what did you do with all the pain in your life? You bottled it up. So, so far down that it took you weeks, no, months, to speak about anything remotely significant with me. Do you know how damn difficult it is to get close to you Severus? Every time I say anything, anything, I need to think over it 1000 times, just to make sure that I'm not pushing your tiny emotional spectrum too far." Sofia was now gasping for air as she continued to yell but she couldn't stop herself. "Are you even capable of feeling something, anything, for longer than a minute!?" After those words left her mouth, Sofia suddenly realized what she had said. She looked at Severus who still had the same cold, emotionless expression on his face. She watched his eyes suddenly darken with something, but before she could catch another glance at him, he turned his face away. After exhaling a single deep breath, he swiftly walked by her towards the door. Sofia was frozen once more as she heard her door slam shut from behind her. She bit down on her finger as she stood in the middle of her now empty room. Her body suddenly washed over with dread. She kept going over and over her words, cringing at her own outburst. She couldn't believe she could say that to him. Clasping her hands together she began to pace her room. Pondering on if there was any way she could salvage the current situation. She continued to nervously walk around her room, pulling her rings on and off her fingers in an attempt to distract herself from what she had just done. 

Meanwhile, Severus was calmly marching towards the dungeons. He could feel the pain tighten in his chest as he opened the door to his room. Slumping in his armchair, he leaned his head into the fingers of his right hand as he leaned his elbow on the armrest. Lighting a fire, he watched the flames dance. Massaging his temples lightly, he continued to stare at the flames, going over Sofia's words, as the pain tightened in his chest. He wasn't daft, he knew that her outburst was not intended to hurt him, he knew that she was overwhelmed and probably scared. Nevertheless, her words still cut through him like knives. The pain he was now feeling was different from the one he had felt throughout the last few years if his life. It was fresh, almost unknown to him. It bothered him that he was completely unsure of how to deal with it. He searched for the familiar anger within him. But he couldn't find it. A small voice in his head was annoyingly reminding him that she might have been right. However, the pain was taking over him as he looked over to the desk, eying the half-empty bottle of whiskey which was calling to him. Before he thought of getting up to grab a glass something stopped him. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he stayed in his seat. Not taking his eyes off the fire, he continued to try to dissect exactly what he was feeling. Why there wasn't more anger within him and how it obviously had something to do with the now overwhelming and constantly growing affection he was developing for Sofia.

Sofia was sitting on the carpet in the middle of her room, motionlessly trying to understand what she had just done. She missed dinner, the sun had set, and her room filled with quiet darkness. Sofia was still sitting in the same spot on the floor. She felt her back begin to ache as her head dropped to face the pattern on her carpet. She knew what she had to do. She knew that she had to rush to apologize but her body seemed to disagree. The usual surge of courage which she always had, seemed to leave her right after she had said those things to Severus. Growing up, she was always the first to apologize, it wasn't easy for her but she never let that stop her. But right now for some reason, she struggled to gather the words to apologize. Maybe because she knew that she had gone too far, and maybe he would not want to see her or speak to her again. What was worse was that her mind was also plagued with the fact that her father was going to regain his memories. She was so paralyzed by her own mind that for a second she almost forgot to breathe. After she heard the clock tower strike 11, she knew that she had to do something. Pulling herself up from the floor, she grabbed her wand and dragged herself down the quiet Hogwarts hallway. She did not want to take the elf staircase in order to buy her more time before she had to face him. Slowly, she made her way down the spiral staircase into the dungeons, eventually finding herself standing in front of his door, once more completely paralyzed. After letting out a shaky breath she raised her hand to softly knock. After a short pause, she heard a grunt come from the other side. Swallowing her fears, she pushed the heavy door open. She saw him sitting in his armchair, facing the fire. The lamps were all turned off. No light broke through into his room except for the dim fire. Crossing her arms protectively over her body, she finally spoke.

"It's me."

"I know." He dragged without turning his head. Sofia took another small step into his room, taking a stand by his desk. She was scared of taking more steps towards him. She figured she could gather her thoughts better if she stood a few feet away. She was so embarrassed with herself that she wasn't even sure she could face him directly.

"I-" She stuttered as she tried to tie her thoughts together. No words seemed to come out of her mouth as she went quiet for a minute. He hummed in response waiting for her to continue. "I'm sorry." She quietly spoke. "I'm sorry for the thing's I said. I should have never said them. It was horrible." She finished. She watched as he continued to stare at the fire, softly nodding at her words. "I hope you'll forgive me." She watched as he softly nodded again without turning his head towards her. She suddenly realized that coming here was a lost cause. That what she said probably drove him over the edge. "I'll leave you to it." She quietly finished with a sigh. Pulling her hair behind her ears she turned on her heels, heading for the door.

"Is that really what you want?" She heard his deep voice echo as she reached for the handle. Fiddling with the handle she paused.

"No." She whispered back.

"Then stay." She heard him again. Sofia suddenly felt some of the weight lift from her chest as she turned back. "I still need to discuss Albus' plan with you." Sofia suddenly tensed as she realized the only reason he called her back was most likely for that.

"Okay,"

"Sit down." His voice cut the silence of the room again. Sofia pulled the chair from his desk sitting down. He continued to look forwards, without turning towards her.

"Albus is planning to go to the Ministry tomorrow. He will speak to them about everything that happened. He is planning to go to Azkaban with you and me as soon as the Ministry allows him to bring the watch directly to William Greene." Sofia took in a sharp breath as he continued. "He felt that you needed to be there when your father regains his sanity. After that, he is hoping that Greene will reveal the details about the apparent threat. Then this should be over with." Severus finished.

"And you're not happy with that?" Sofia asked, fiddling with her rings.

"No," Severus grunted. "There are a few things that don't quite add up." He sighed. The crackling of the fire filled the room as Sofia waited for him to speak. "I can't understand why the watch was hidden at your house." Sofia hummed confused. "How would he have known where you lived when he hid it?"

"Maybe he had some visions. Or maybe he's been lying all along and he does remember me. But is just too insane to vocalize it. That way he told someone where to hide the watch before his sanity was taken away."

"No. I knew him well. I am confident in the fact that he has no idea who you are." Sofia could feel that Severus was becoming annoyed.

"What if this was somehow planned before the war and Voldemort was the one that hid it. Perhaps he did believe in the rumours all along and wanted him to suffer never finding the object." She tried again.

"Well, that makes even less sense. Greene was sane when Nagini attacked me." Severus sighed. "Voldemort wanted the watch found. Otherwise, he would have never created it, he could have just killed Greene." Severus bit back, still refusing to look at Sofia.

"What if it was never Voldemort that hid it, seems like quite a dirty job for The Dark Lord himself. Maybe one of the other Death Eaters thought it would be ironic to hide it in my room. You told me yourself that some of them openly discussed the rumours." Sofia was scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point trying to find an explanation.

"Or perhaps this is something bigger." Severus finished defeated. Sofia sensed by his tone that he was done with this conversation.

"Either way, the Ministry has to agree. When he finally gets that watch back he'll regain his sanity, and I'm sure Albus can get anything that he wants out of him, and so can you," spoke Sofia quietly.

"And you?"

"No. I don't want to be there when it happens." Sofia firmly spoke. She watched as Severus nudged his head to the side in confusion, still looking at his fireplace. "It's too much." She tried to clarify. Severus nodded, leaning further back into his armchair which Sofia took that as her cue to leave. Getting up from her chair she quietly moved it back into position, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" She heard him ask as she stiffened slowly turning around.

"I thought-"

"You thought wrong. Come here." She heard him quietly mutter. Sofia was unsure whether she should feel relieved or a little scared. She slowly walked across the room towards the fireplace and his armchair. For the first time since she had come to him, he finally calmy turned his head to look at her. When their eyes met, Sofia was welcomed by his dark somewhat sad eyes. She could see that he was immense pain although his face didn't show a trace of it. She realized that for the first time, she was the one that caused that pain. Sofia suddenly felt lightheaded. The immense guilt washing over her once more. Her emotions took the best of her as she felt hot tears begin to well up in her eyes. She now felt immensely stupid for being the one that was crying, she assumed that he must have now thought that she was being completely ridiculous. Looking down at his floor, she attempting to avoid his eyes. Severus was intently watching her. As soon as he noticed that she was crying his expression changed. Getting up from his chair he towered over her. His body was aching to hold her. He watched as Sofia exhaled a shaky breath. Before she could even speak he couldn't stop himself as he pulled her in, tightly embracing her. Sofia's arms were pressed against his chest, and so was her face as he held her. He could feel her heart beating like a quick drum against his chest. "Why are you crying?" He spoke from above her without letting her go. Sofia Scoffed as she looked up at him.

"Because I hurt you, and I care about you?" Severus pulled her into his body once again as soon as he heard those words.

"And since when is that a reason to cry, Sofia?" His low voice spoke almost sarcastically.

"I thought that you wouldn't forgive me." She responded, her voice muffled against his chest.

"I believe that is a little too dramatic if you ask me." He smirked as he felt one of her palms playfully hit his chest with a shaky chuckle. Whilst holding her, Severus realised that the ache of pain in his chest was now completely gone. Sighing in relief, he pulled away from her and looked into her glossy eyes, smiling softly. Leaning down he pressed a soft kiss on her wet lips. Sofia kissed him back gently. As she felt a tear trail down her cheek, she pulled back from him feeling embarrassed.

"I acted like a real bitch before, Severus." Sofia laughed a little as she wiped her face with her hands, trying to hide any trace of her tears.

"I won't disagree with you on that." He spoke before crossing his arms over his chest, and impatiently tapping his index finger. "That outburst could have waited, considering I was simply coming to tell you about Albus and my _plan_ for tomorrow."

"What plan?" Sofia furrowed her eyebrows looking up at him.

"Albus will be at the Ministry tomorrow, he said that the earliest time to visit Azkaban would be Sunday. Therefore I was hoping we could finally celebrate finding that cursed object. _Alone_." He finished.

"Of course. How could I forget? A date with Severus Snape." Sofia teased.

"Mhm." He hummed back smirking. Standing there in silence for a little longer Sofia was feeling content, but still a little guilty.

"I'm sorry. Again. For what I said. I really shouldn't have said those things, I-"

"No." He stopped her. "Your delivery could have been better. But most of the things that you said are quite close to the truth. Some would even say you're one of the only people that I have spoken to about my past somewhat emotionally. But I'm sure you knew that already. " He spoke looking around the room.

"I did. And I'm truly happy I'm one of the few." Sofia smiled. After a few seconds of silence, Sofia figured it was finally time for her to sleep. "Alright. Well, goodnight. I'll come find you tomorrow to hear all about your plan." Sofia muttered looking up at him. She noticed how his eyebrows raised questionably at her, eyes squinting a little.

"So I have to spend my morning sneaking around the hallways at sunrise, but you get to slyly avoid all that?" He cocked his head to the side. Sofia quickly understood what he was referring to as she smiled again. "Come." He whispered, before pulling her softly towards the direction of the bed, to which she happily obliged.


	37. Victor's Deception

As the sun began to rise, Sofia and Severus were fast asleep, holding each other tightly under his black sheets. The fire continued to weakly light the room, as it filled with the quiet breathing of content. As soon as the clock tower struck 7 am, Sofia sturred in her sleep. Still completely dazed she started mumbling something into Severus ear, which quickly woke him up. Severus squinted to look down at her as she laid on his chest. He watched as she slowly removed herself from him, and started to push the covers to the side, revealing her bare legs as she swung them over the edge of the bed.

"Where on earth are you going?"

"6th-year core class." he heard her quietly mumble with a yawn. Severus couldn't help but smile a little at her. Holding back his laugher he watched her as she leaned over the edge of the bed.

"It's Saturday," he stated, trying to hold himself back from laughing at her tired and confused state. Sofia paused in her step for a second before crumbling back into bed.

"Oh, thank God..." She mumbled again as her head hit the pillow next to Severus. Severus rarely heard her use 'God' when she spoke. He assumed that when she was tired some of her muggle-antics from London seemed to shine through. He watched as she cuddled deeper into his soft sheets, turning her back to him. Before he could peacefully fall back asleep, he felt her arm move back and tug on his for him to wrap himself around her. Severus sighed a little, refusing to move with a smirk as she tried to pull him in again. "Ugh. Why are you so stubborn." She whined.

"I am just trying to make you work for it a little, especially after yesterday." As the words slipped from his mouth he noticed Sofia turn her head towards him, glaring daggers straight into his soul. No matter how much she posed herself as a morning person, after that one look, Severus was sure that it was all a charade. "Alright, alright." he smiled as he moved closer to her back, gently stroking it. Soon enough, both of them were once more happily asleep. Severus' arms draped over her, his chest pressed firmly to her back as they cuddled.

As the clock tower stroke 11, both of them were now awake. Severus sat up in bed, as Sofia struggled to fully wake up for the second time now. Yawing she sat up next to him. Sofia placed a soft kiss on his lips before finally getting out of bed. Severus watched as she got ready to head out the door and dodge the Slytherin students who were probably lurking in the dungeon hallways.

"I'm sorry about yesterday, again." She spoke as she put her clothes on by the side of his bed.

"I've already told you that it's fine. Especially since I probably said much worse things to you back in the day."

"That you did." Sofia chirped in, smirking. Severus rolled his eyes at her, before playfully outstretching his arm, attempting to pull her back in as she jumped away. "I still have papers to grade before Monday! And I like having my Sundays free. And it's already past 11, I have to run back and grade." Severus grunted at her response as he fell back into his bed, propping his head up with his arm. Sofia continued to get ready. After making sure she looked appropriate and tying her blonde hair up, she hummed in satisfaction. "Before I go, I thought you had something planned today...?" She mused as Severus smirked looking up at the ceiling.

"You are correct. However, don't worry yourself too much with the details. Go grade the papers. I will come get you from your quarters right before sunset." He spoke.

"Lovely." Sofia smiled as she headed towards the door, trying to hide the excitement from him which was simply overflowing inside her.

"Make sure you don't wear your highest heels, Sofia," Severus added as she reached for her doorknob. Sofia's brows furrowed as she turned back to Severus shooting him a questionable glance. "I thought you had papers to grade?" Severus monotone voice rang through the room sarcastically. Sofia nodded softly, carefully pulling the door towards herself to peek out into the hallway. To her luck, she only noticed a few of the Slytherin students walking around. Sofia calmly stepped out of Severus room and shut the door which caught the attention of one of the students from down the hallway. Sofia held her head up high as she began walking across the hallway, towards the elf door.

"Professor Greene! I was looking for you this morning." A girl spoke as Sofia approached her.

"Did something happen, Ms Farley?"

"No no." The girl spoke. She eyed Sofia, and her broody professor's door before looking up at Sofia once more. "Why were you leaving Professors Snape's quarters so early in the morning.

"I had some trouble grading the 5th-years papers last night and wanted to get his opinion before being too harsh." Sofia smiled at her. That seemed to shut the girl up as she quietly said goodbye and scattered. Sofia exhaled a breath of relief as she quickly walked through the elf door and made her way back to her quarters.

After showering, putting herself together, and asking Zinky to bring her some food, Sofia was now on her last few papers. She reluctantly read through some of the student's potions instructions which were completely and utterly wrong. No matter how much she loved most of her students, sometimes she wished that they had just listened a little more during class, and put some effort in. Rolling her eyes she drew a harsh **x** next to a scribbled answer before beginning to write an endless paragraph, attempting to explain to the student where they went wrong. Unlike Severus, she always tried to help the students, instead of simply marking the papers right or wrong. Which seemed to often bite her in the arse as she consistently found herself writing endless and endless paragraphs in red on 20% of the papers.

Finally finishing that one she sighed in relief as she looked outside. She noticed some of the students playing in the courtyard as Minerva struggled to separate a small quarrel between two boys. Smiling Sofia suddenly felt a surge of pleasant anxiety rush through her veins. For a second she was confused as she couldn't figure out where it came from. Glancing at the clock on her brick wall, she noticed that it was almost four. She knew that the sun would set roughly around six in March. Although right now it was hard to tell, as the sun could barely be seen between some grey clouds. Knowing Severus, he would either turn up 3 minutes or an hour before the time she expected. As her mind drifted to Severus, she suddenly felt another wave of anxiety. Confused, she placed her quill down, trying to figure out where it had come from. Suddenly, the realization hit her like a brick as she remembered that she hasn't been on an _actual_ date in years. Yes, she was obviously _very_ close to Severus, battled a 'water dragon' once and even saved his life, but never a _date_. As fear suddenly overtook her, she quickly picked up her quill, trying to focus her energy into the last two papers instead of obsessing over her fears.

As she was finally done marking her last paper, she neatly stacked them together, binding them with a paper clip before getting up from her desk. Glancing up at the clock, she realized she didn't have an insane amount of time to get ready. Trying to gather clues from what Severus told her before, she simply chose to put on some jeans, an off the shoulder, deep v neck beige sweater, and placing her heeled but comfortable boots by the door. She realized that she might have dressed a little too casually, but how could she know considering she had absolutely no idea where she was going. Deciding to spice herself up with some makeup, she applied some basics, winged eyeliner, mascara and deep red lipstick. Feeling pleased with herself, she let her hair down from the tight bun she had it in before which gave her a nice wave. Pulling out a wide black scarf from the closet she threw it on her bed, knowing that if they were planning on going outside she was definitely going to need it. Just as she was about to sit down on her couch she heard two knocks at her door. Suddenly the anxiety showed itself again as she glanced at the door. Being frozen for a second she continued to stare at the door. Hearing two familiar knocks come again she knew that she had to open it. Quickly slipping into her boots and grabbing her scarf she pulled her door open. In front of her, she saw Severus' tall frame looming over her wearing a simple coat with a white shirt peeking out from underneath and some simple trousers. Although there were plenty of times she saw him in regular attire she had grown very fond of his usual frock, and somehow seeing him like this, so casual, made her even more nervous. Feeling anxious she wrapped her scarf around herself closing the door behind her, trying to act as nonchalant as possible.

"Are you...nervous?" She heard a smirk in his voice as she locked the door behind her.

"What makes you say that?" She quickly responded looking up at him. Severus simply smiled, before checking the hallways and quickly placing a kiss on her cheek, whispering something in her ear.

"You look lovely." Sofia felt a shiver go down her spine as he leaned back checking the hallway again. She could feel some heat in her cheeks as she smiled.

"Thank you." She almost whispered fixing her scarf around her neck.

"Come. I don't want students seeing us, they'll start asking questions." He muttered. Sofia simply nodded as they hurriedly made their way through the building. Sofia followed him as he quickly paced across the courtyard. As soon as they made if past the main grounds of the castle Sofia relaxed a little.

"Where are we going?"

"The Forbidden Forest." Sofia's eyes suddenly went wide as she froze in her spot.

"I'm sorry?!" She laughed nervously. "The Forbidden Forest? Are you planning to feed me to one of Hagrid's beloved creatures?" Sofia laughed as he turned around to face her.

"Don't be absurd. I wouldn't want to ruin their diet with _you-_ " Severus spoke as Sofia's mouth gaped open. "Besides, I'm only taking you to the outskirts." She didn't have time to respond before they continued to walk side by side along the lake. They walked past Hagrid's hut in comfortable silence along the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Sofia glanced from the forest to the lake. She had never released how truly vast it was until she noticed that she had never been this far on the Hogwart's grounds before, even during her runs.

"There is a small sheltered area over there in the distance, you have to close your eyes before we make it there," Severus spoke. Sofia could sense that he was also somewhat nervous. Sofia obliged as she shut her eyes tightly. Severus took her by her forearm and led her for a few more minutes across the grass. As they came to a stop, Sofia patiently waited for him to let her open her eyes, as her bones almost shook inside her with excitement. "Open them." She heard his voice somewhat in the distance. Sofia opened her eyes to find a small secluded area on the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Severus stood calmly by what looked like a large black blanket which covered some of the grass. On top of it, she noticed some food which looked like wrapped sandwiches, a bottle of wine and two wine glasses. Sofia couldn't stop herself from smiling as she tried to take in the amount of thought and effort which went into this. It was nothing extravagant, and she was so glad that it wasn't. Biting on her bottom lip on glee she looked over at Severus who seemed to become impatient with her silence."Well?"

"Why this?" She asked smiling. Severus huffed, looking almost embarrassed.

"I noticed you seem to really enjoy sitting on that _make-shift_ bench by the lake, however, the view from there is simply horrid. Therefore, I assumed you would enjoy this one more." Sofia was in utter awe. She suddenly remembered that beautiful sketch which Severus drew of her. Her feelings at that moment were a thousand times stronger than then. She hadn't even realised that he paid that much attention to the things she liked. Still, in complete shock she watched as Severus crossed his arms over his chest, his usual cold expression showing vague signs of worry.

"I love it." She spoke in disbelief. She watched as he exhaled a breath which he seemed to be holding in since they left Hogwarts.

"Come eat before you miss the sunset." He gestured for her to come closer. Both of them sat down on the blanket. Severus stretching out his long legs as Sofia bent hers in her knees. Looking forwards, she could see the sun softly setting from behind the clouds as the sky began to turn a deep purple shade. Sofia noticed the view of the beautiful castle and the neverending lake. She admired every inch of the view before she noticed Severus hand her over a glass of wine. Sipping her wine she continued to watch the deep sunset before facing him.

"How did you find this place?"

"You seem to forget that I used to be a student here once. And have been teaching _Potions_ for over 100 years." Severus silky voice responded as Sofia laughed.

"Did you ever take anyone here?"

"No. Even though it's technically on the grounds, student's arent allowed to roam here. I used to come here often right before the war." Severus replied. Sofia felt extremely privileged that he had brought her here. Still, in shock from what he had done, she stared at him smiling. He ignored her looking out towards the lake. "What?" He dragged before turning his face to hers.

"Nothing. I just can't believe you did this." She tried to hide her wide smile as she bit into her sandwich. Severus playfully rolled his eyes.

"I do pay attention to detail. You should know that by now." Severus and Sofia continued to eat, talking about various things. For the first time, both seemed truly relaxed. With the watch being found, and William Greene being so far away, both minds seemed completely at ease. As the sun had set, and the sky became a deep shade of red, Sofia told Severus about her struggling to mark some of the papers earlier.

"I just don't understand. Everything that they need is literally in the books. Some of them are just so-" Sofia suddenly paused.

"Say it." He pushed

"No."

"Come on," Severus smirked.

"Ignorant," Sofia whispered, feeling completely horrible after what she had said. "I take it back, that's horrible to say. they just need to pay attention a little more."

"I'm sure _that's_ the issue and not their complete lack of motivation to learn."

"Well, that's a little rough!" Sofia laughed.

"I'm not the one that called them ignorant," Severus smirked before sipping his wine.

"Well yes, but that is such a small percentage. Most of them are so lovely. Like Ms Wilson. She is simply a joy to teach!"

"She reminds me of Hermione Granger sometimes..." Severus mused.

"I will take that as you giving her a compliment." Severus scoffed at her as they continued to drink. Twilight began to cover them as they continued to talk for what seemed like hours. Reminiscing on their searches, _encounters_ and other endless topics. Eventually, they both became quiet as they watched the lake. Sofia felt Severus' eyes on her as she turned towards him. Shifting her body closer to him, she placed her palm softly on the side of his cheek pulling him in closer. Placing her lips on his, she softly kissed him. Their somewhat innocent kiss quickly turned hungry as they pulled each other closer. Without breaking away, as their lips danced together, they softly laid down on the blanket which covered the soft grass. Laying down they continued to kiss as their hands roamed each others bodies over their clothes. Separating for air, Sofia sighed, leaning her forehead on Severus'. Simply enjoining each others breathing for a second longer, Severus fell back on the blanket looking up at the sky. Sofia followed closely, also admiring the sky. The clouds had now cleared, the stars visibly covering every inch of the sky above them. The two laid in silence simply enjoying the night. "I love it here. I never want to leave." Sofia whispered as she continued to study the stars from above her.

"There is one more thing I want to do with you, so don't get too comfortable." Sofia furrowed her eyebrows at him. She noticed that he was watching the sky just as intently as she was. Admiring his peaceful state for a second longer, she suddenly flinched as Severus got up from his comfortable position. Severus flicked his wand, as all the mess seemed to disappear, including the wine bottle, glasses, and the leftovers of the sandwiches. Sofia watched him confused as she propped herself up on her elbows. "Unless you want to be wet, I suggest you get up." He quirked an eyebrow as she carefully lifted herself off the blanket. The blanket quickly vanished in front of her eyes.

"You sure know how to ruin a sweet moment."

"We'll have plenty more of that, but for now there is something else I want us to do." Severus smiled as he reached out his hand to her. Sofia linked her arm with his as they walked back along the lake and the edge of the forest, enjoying the fresh night air of spring. After they had walked for a few minutes Sofia noticed Hagrids hut. Smiling she continued along the lake towards the castle before she felt Severus tug her towards the hut. Nudging her head to the side Sofia followed him as they found themselves on Hagrid's doorstep. Severus knocked on the wooden door before it swung open.

"Sofie! Severus!" Hagrid cheerily greeted them. Sofia came up to hug him before she winced from the smell in his hut.

"What on earth is that smell Hagrid?" Sofia struggled to keep her expression neutral as her nose scrunched up.

"Yer going to have to ask him about that." Hagrid winked. Sofia now looked even more confused as Hagrid placed a bucket of what seemed like raw fish and prawns by her feet. Sofia's head turned from Severus to Hagrid waiting for an explanation.

"I will take that," Severus spoke from behind her before grabbing the bucket. "Thank you, Hagrid." He nodded at him as Hagrid beamed with excitement.

"Oh, don't thank me! It's my pleasure." Hagrid winked again at Sofia as he hugged her goodnight.

"Care to explain what on earth just happened?" Sofia nudged Severus as he made his way towards the edge of the lake.

"I recommend you take off your shoes and roll up your jeans before I empty this into the lake." Severus simply responded to her. Sofia suddenly understood what was happening. Her excitement vividly returned as she watched Severus pull up the sleeves of his coat before dumping the contents of the bucket into the lake. Sofia quickly threw off her shoes and rolled up her jeans to her knees as she stepped into the cold water. Within seconds the water a few feet away from her began to bubble as she noticed some tentacles arise to the surface. With a small gasp, she quickly walked deeper into the lake, making sure not to wet her jeans. The tentacles began to softly wrap around Sofia's ankles as she laughed. Rolling up her sleeves she dipped her hands in the water carefully caressing the giant squid. She continued to play with it, the squid seemed overjoyed as it barely ever saw any company. Most of the students and teachers were utterly afraid of it except Hagrid and her. Sofia's favourite thing to do when she used to teach with Hagrid was to feed the squid and play with it at night. Hagrid would often catch her sneaking out of the hut just to call for it and keep it company. She focused on keeping this a secret as she didn't want the other professors to find her completely and utterly insane. Sofia felt some of the water droplets on her arms and face as the squid continued to softly play with the water around her.

"Are you coming?" Sofia laughed from the water as Severus stood silently admiring her from a distance.

"If you insist." He muttered before taking off his shoes and socks, following in her lead by rolling up his trousers. He slowly walked up to her side, continuing to admire her gleeful state.

"Give me your hand. He won't harm you, I promise." Sofia spoke as Severus bent over and reached his arm out to her. Sofia pulled his palm towards one of the creatures massive tentacles as he began to carefully pet it.

"I must say, this is incredibly unpleasant to the touch. I would much rather pet a cat or even a dog for that matter." She heard Severus snort as he continued to play with the creature.

"Cats and dogs get all the love in the world, unlike him." Sofia sighed as she continued to splash the water around the squid. Sofia straightened her back, looking over the lake. "I've been in that damp classroom for ages. I never come out anymore." She sighed crossing her arms over her body. "Thank you, for this, for all of this, Severus." Sofia smiled as she watched Severus lift his hand away from the water. Sofia moved closer to him as she placed another kiss on his lips. She leaned into his side watching the squid slowly sink back into the water before lightly splashing her one last time.

"You should thank Hagrid. He suggested this." Severus muttered, attempting to share some praise.

"I'm sure I'll come over to thank him later." Sofia sighed as she leaned closer into his side, feeling one of his arms wrap around her. "You did all this, even after all the things I said yesterday?" She suddenly felt a small surge of guilt as she remembered her words from yesterday.

"As I said before, I forgave you. The worrying part is how fast I seem to have forgotten about it." Severus sighed.

"Maybe you have developed somewhat of a soft spot for me..." Sofia teased. Severus responded to her with a hum of displacement as he tugged her back to land.

"You have to get out of the water before you become sick." He spoke as they stepped out of the lake. Severus quickly pulled out his wand drying both his and Sofia's feet as they rolled their trousers down and put their shoes back on. The two walked back to the castle in silence, enjoying what seemed to be the end of this fantastic evening. Sofia was so overwhelmed with joy that she kept pulling Severus closer and closer to her as they walked back inside the building. Severus was relieved that his plan clearly brought Sofia pure happiness. He kept stealing glances at her face, as she smiled widely from ear to ear. When they made it to the front door, both of them stopped in their tracks.

"Which one of us prefers to sneak out in the morning tomorrow?" He spoke sarcastically as Sofia laughed.

"I think I do a better job of it than you. I'm happy to go back to your quarters tonight." Sofia's devilish grin sent shivers down Severus' whole body as he stopped himself from feeling the familiar heat within himself.

"Debatable. However, I won't argue." He spoke before pushing the doors open. As soon as they made it to Severus quarters and he opened the door, Sofia softly pushed him in, shutting the door with her foot from behind her. Before he could even place his wand on his desk, Sofia had wrapped her arms around his neck, passionately throwing her lips on his. Within seconds Severus felt the familiar rush of adrenalin and lust surge through his veins as he picked her up. Sofia continued to kiss him, refusing to even let him breathe. Pulling away for just a second he pulled her scarf and sweater off, revealing a burgundy lace bra which she had picked out knowing what was most likely going to happen tonight. Severus stared at her in awe, still holding her up by her legs. Sofia smirked as she watched him hungrily eye her. Severus gently kissed down her neck and breasts, making her moan as she raked her hands through his hair. Severus dug his fingers into her waist, before softly placing her on his bed. As he continued to kiss her down her chest and stomach he quickly pulled off her belt and jeans which revealed her deep burgundy matching thong. Sofia's enjoyed watching him ravish her with his eyes. Severus gently trailed his fingers down from between her breasts, to her stomach and over her thong, continuing to caress her thighs as he placed himself on the floor at the edge of the bed. Kissing her thigh gently, his teeth found their way to her thong as he pulled them down. The room quickly filled with Sofia's endless moans as he kissed every inch of her. Sofia was incredibly impatient as she pulled him closer towards herself, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off him. Just as she leaned in closer to his lips to kiss him once more, she heard a rough banging on his door.

Both Severus and Sofia stilled in absolute terror. Sofia hurriedly hopped off his bed and pulled her thong back on. Just as she was buttoning her jeans and Severus was busy putting on his shirt, the banging came again, this time much louder and more impatient than before. Sofia pursed her lips in terror as she scurried and quickly picked up her sweater from the floor making sure to cover herself completely. She hurriedly looked at Severus and nodded, gesturing for him to open the door. As she fixed her hair she watched Severus suddenly become fully calm as if a completely different person, no trace of what they were doing left on his emotionless face. Sofia became a little jealous of his skill to completely transform right about now. She inhaled a deep breath as she watched Severus reach for the door. She made sure to move out of the doorways view seconds before he opened it. Just as Severus pulled back the door another loud knock came before Sofia could see Albus standing in front of Severus.

"Pardon me for coming to you at such an hour, but this is-" Albus suddenly paused as he furrowed his eyebrows, eyeing Severus up and down. He couldn't help his curiosity as he peeked inside the room. He quickly noticed Sofia standing in the corner smiling at him with her arms comfortably crossed over. Sofia remained calm as she caught Albus' cheeky smile from the doorway. "I see you seem a little busy. I would love to talk about this pleasant turn of events some other time however, I come bearing some difficult news." Sofia released the breath she was holding as she walked closer to the doorway, eager to hear what Albus had to say.

"Did the Ministry confiscate the watch?" Severus interjected allowing Albus to enter his quarters, as to not wake up the students.

"I'm afraid it's something worse," Albus sighed whilst Sofia nervously brought her hand up to her face. "William Greene has escaped _._ "


	38. Old Friends

"What?" Sofia whispered in disbelief. She noticed as Severus ran a hand through his hair, pacing around the room.

"As soon as I arrived back, the Ministry contacted me. They believe he escaped merely an hour ago. They already have Aurors looking for him, however, I believe that Severus needs to go right now to see if he can find him. I believe he might be of more use than the Aurors, as he knew him best."

"Am I expected to join the Aurors?" Severus grunted with disgust in his voice.

"No. You will go alone. No matter how unstable William Greene is, he knows there will be Aurors searching for him. I don't want to risk Greene becoming completely erratic if he finds out you're looking for him as well." Albus continued calmly. Sofia was in shock, blindly listening to everything Albus was saying. The room became dead silent as Sofia continued to stare at Albus, whilst Severus hurridly paced around the room. Sofia was frozen in her spot as she began to tap her teeth with her nail, eyes darting from one corner of the room to another. After giving them a minute to process this, Albus didn't hesitate to continue speaking. "Right now, I need Severus to go out and look for Greene, whilst I have to visit Azkaban immediately to see if there is anything of use to us." Sofia heard Severus hum in response as she watched him quickly put on a coat and grab his wand. "I am aware that this is a lot to ask Severus. If you don't find him within the next 24 hours, you will have to return, as Greene will most likely flee the country by then or do something worse. And I need you here by then."

"What about the threat? Who will be protecting the school?" Sofia chimed in. Still a thoroughly shaken by the current turn of events.

"The Ministry has already sent security to Hogwarts for protection... if anything were to happen." Albus calmed her. Sofia nodded at him staring into space. She was becoming impatient to hear what exactly Albus had in store for her. She noticed that Albus was beginning to gather himself to leave. Her brows furrowed as she took a quick step towards him.

"What about me?"

" _You_?"

"Yes. What am I meant to do whilst-"

"Sofie, you're staying here."

"Staying here!?" Sofia laughed. "But-" She stammered to form a sentence.

"Until further notice, you will be on night duty with Minerva. Unfortunately, I cannot trust anyone else to do this as no other professors at Hogwarts are aware of this, let alone understand its vast importance. Monday you have to teach your's and Severus' classes back to back. You must not forget that you are _still_ a professor above all. "

"Night Duty? Teaching? That's what I'll be doing whilst Severus is searching for my deranged father and you're visiting Azkaban?" Sofia's voice begun to rise as she mocked Albus' decision. "There will be guards at Hogwarts, you said so yourself. This is insane." She began to feel useless.

"This is for the best Sofie." Albus spoke sternly before quickly leaving Severus' quarters. As Sofia turned to Severus, she couldn't get a word in as he swiftly walked by her exiting his own quarters and shutting the door behind him. Sofia stood in the middle of the room in total silence, scoffing at herself.

"This is a joke." She muttered angrily, before grabbing her shoes and stepping out of Severus quarters, making her way to her own. Sofia made sure to stop by the potions room and grab some _Sleeping Drought_ for herself as she knew that she wouldn't be able to fall asleep tonight, tomorrow or for however long this was going to go on for. As soon as she came to her room, she changed and chugged some of the _Sleeping Drough_ t which forced her to pass out almost immediately.

In the morning Sofia proceeded to try to ignore the constant feeling of anxiety inside her. She pretended everything was normal as she made her way to breakfast. She quickly cornered Minerva to quietly discuss everything that was happening. Both of the women were immensely stressed beyond reason. As it was Sunday, Sofia planned to spend her day by taking the younger students down to Hogsmeade as she had nothing left to grade or work on, and she knew that if she found herself alone in her room she would most likely drive herself mad. The day went by painfully slow. In Hogsmeade, the students often had to call her name more the once to get her attention as her mind kept drifting away to Severus and what on earth he must have been doing. She tried to force the worry out of herself by conversating with the students, unfortunately, today seemed to be the calmest day of the whole term. Not a single student got themselves into any fight, argument or even a tiff that Sofia had to deal with, which made the time pass by even slower. After she had somewhat successfully managed to push herself through lunch and dinner, she found herself sitting in Minerva's office. Neither of them said a word as they quietly sipped their tea. Painfully waiting for night duty to come.

As Albus walked through the slimy hallways of Azkaban, he rushed towards the cell of William Greene with a few of the wardens hot on his heels. As soon as he made it to the cell, he froze. There was absolutely no visible trace of force. The brick wall was completely intact, the barred-gate was carefully opened whilst the shackles seemed to be _barely_ broken through. Albus was shocked, to say the least. As he had expected something much grander, similar to the infamous escape of '96. After questioning the guards, he had come nowhere close to understanding what on earth happened as they were completely and utterly useless. One of them claimed that they simply discovered the empty cell during one of their regular prison rounds, and weren't aware of any prior suspicious activity. It simply didn't make sense. Being nowhere close to an understanding, Albus was at a complete loss.

* * *

After searching through the night and the whole of Sunday Severus was exhausted as he noticed the sun begin to set. Severus had already searched over five different locations without sleep, ranging from abandoned houses and inns to hideaway caves and ruins. During his time searching for the watch, he had meticulously picked out 3 locations which made the most sense to him then. Right now, he didn't have the luxury to be picky. He simply apparated from one abandoned place to another in search of Greene. By the time the sun had completely set, his body was practically begging for rest from all the apparitions and stress. He was extremely lucky not to encounter any other underground Death Eaters, however, he was quickly becoming angry and annoyed at the fact that he was unsuccessful. Not only did he not even find a single trace of Greene, but he was now running out of options. There was only one other location he knew which could possibly help him. He knew the location well, but he couldn't bring himself to think of it. He wasn't even sure that he was fully capable of facing _them_. After contemplating for a few minutes longer; thinking about Sofia and how stressed she must probably be, William Greene causing havoc, and the children, he had finally gathered the very little strength he had left and shut his eyes.

"Severus?"

"Hello, Narcissa." Severus gritted through his teeth whilst standing on the doorstep of the same boundless manor he was once so used to. Narcissa paused for a second, barely prying the door open, holding Severus gaze.

"May I help you?" She politely spoke, focusing on erasing the confusion from her face.

"I need to speak to Lucius." Narcissa furrowed her eyebrows, contemplating. She paid close attention to his exhausted expression as she gripped the door tighter. Severus was once close friends with her husband, and even her. Remembering the horrors of the War, she was about to shut the door in his face before she quickly recalled the lengths Severus went to, in order to protect her son. Gritting her teeth she knew she had to let him in, as it would simply be the noble thing to do.

"Come in." She muttered as she opened the door. Severus awkwardly walked into the house which was once so familiar to him. He scanned the pristine white walls and noticed the light reflecting from the perfectly polished marble floors. Without taking of his coat he stared at Narcissa, hoping for this to be over with quickly. Narcissa shut the door and turned towards Severus. With the bright lights blaring at him, she noticed that he looked like he was on the verge of passing out. Suddenly, she felt somewhat guilty for even considering shutting him out of her house. It was a rare moment for someone to see Severus this worn down. Without saying a word she gestured for him to follow her.

"Lucius. Someone is here to see you." She spoke as she pushed a door open, which revealed Lucius sitting with his back to them, writing something on a piece of parchment.

"Who on earth would have the decency to come to our house at this hour, Narcissa?" Lucius bit back without turning around. An awkward silence filled the room as Narcissa struggled to tie a sentence together. With an annoyed grunt, Lucius dropped his quill and forcefully turned his chair to face the doorway. He suddenly paled as his eyes met with Severus'. "Severus?" He muttered. Lucius quickly plastered on a smile as he jumped out of his chair to greet him. Although there were many horrific thoughts which ran through his head as to why exactly Severus would be in his house, he was happy to see him. They hadn't spoken since the war ended and Lucius never expected that they would again. However, he still felt an immense kinship for the man. Lucius awkwardly embraced Severus. "It's been so long." He almost whispered. Severus tensed at his touch at first before finally returning his embrace. Narcissa's heart filled with pain as she almost felt a small smile creep up on her lips, watching her husband reunite with the man which was once dear to him. "Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee?" Lucius began to overcompensate for the lost time as he gestured for Severus to sit at the desk.

"No, thank you," Severus muttered at the both of them as he sat at the table next to Lucius. Narcissa leaned on the doorframe observing the two, patiently waiting for whatever was about to happen. "Is Draco here?" Severus quickly spoke. He wasn't too interested in small talk, however, curiosity took the best of him. Lucious took in a deep sigh, eyeing Narcissa from the corner of the room.

"No, but he visited a few months ago with Astoria and Scorpius." Severus could feel the tension in the room, and he knew why. After the War, Draco and Astoria chose to abandon the pure-blood ideology which they were raised with. They focused on raising their son completely differently which often posed as a problem. As Lucious and Narcissa often tried to inflict their obvious muggle and half-blood intolerance on to their grandson.

"Shame." Severus dragged as he sat back in his chair before finally cutting to the chase. "Do you remember William Greene?" As soon as Severus uttered that name, Lucius' eyes paled with fear, before they heard a scoff come from Narcissa.

"How could anyone forget him? Drove Bellatrix insane..." Narcissa mused crossing her arms over her chest. As she received confused looks from both Severus and Lucious she decided to clarify, "Well, more insane than she was once..." She awkwardly finished.

"The last time I saw him was in court, before my last hearing," Lucius spoke. "He was acting incredibly strange. Couldn't piece words together..." Lucius continued as he focused on remembering whatever happened years ago.

"Did he ever contact you from Azkaban?" Spoke Severus.

"Never." Lucious shook his head. "The main reason I didn't end up in Azkaban was most likely for all the dirt I provided specifically on him to the Ministry. I would be the last person he would want to speak to." Lucious spoke. Severus narrowed his eyes, attempting to decipher whether Lucious was telling the truth or not. Lucius knew him well and quickly realized what Severus was suspecting. "I swear, Severus." He spoke firmly. Severus nodded, realizing that Lucius was always a little too cowardly to be of any use to Greene. Although at first, he was glad to hear this, he quickly felt the last tinge of strength leave his body as he realized that there was absolutely no other place, or anyone else, which would get him closer to finding Greene. Severus painfully brought his fingers up to the bridge of his nose, pinching it. "Why are you asking this?"

"He escaped from Azkaban last night. I have been searching for him since then." Severus heard a gasp come from Narcissa as Lucius got up from his chair. Lucius covered his face with his palm as he began to grasp at his own chin, eyes darting around the room.

"What now?"

"I don't know," Severus answered, defeated.

"Severus, you know what that man is capable of-"

"I know, Lucius." Severus interrupted him, as he placed his face into his hands. "I have to return to Hogwarts." His voice frail, as he got up from his chair. As Severus rushed towards the door he felt Narcissa grip his arm and pull him towards her.

"Have you seen yourself, you're not going to make it to Hogwarts." She spat angrily. "How many times did you apparate today?" Severus was just about to pull himself away from her before realizing she was right. "Have you slept?" She continued, now softer as she noticed Severus' tired eyes up-close. Severus ignored her questions as he gently pulled his arm away from her.

"We have a guest room upstairs. Stay the night. You can leave as soon as you please in the morning. If you apparate now, you risk splinching." Lucius added. Severus was annoyed to realize that both of them were right. He gave them a soft nod, as Narcissa lead him upstairs, Severus could feel his body and eyes getting heavy as they walked up the dark marble staircase. Eventually, Narcissa pointed him to a room. Without saying a word, both went their separate ways as Narcissa rushed down the staircase. Without turning on the lights, Severus threw his coat on the floor, kicked off his shoes and fell on top of the soft bed. He heard Narcissa's and Lucius' soft murmurs coming from downstairs as he struggled to fall asleep. No matter how tired his body was, his mind forbade him from falling asleep. His night consisted of incredibly short increments of sleep, which were either interrupted by the stress of the situation or thoughts of Sofia. He twisted and turned all night without catching anything longer than an hour of sleep. At the break of dawn, he climbed out of bed. Quietly putting his shoes and coat on he carefully walked down the staircase, hoping to avoid both Narcissa and Lucius. Just as he reached for the front door he heard shuffling from behind him.

"Leaving so soon?" Narcissa chimed. As Severus faced her, she gave him an apologetic look. "Will you visit again? He would never admit it, but he does miss you, Severus." She spoke in a whisper. After hesitating for a second, Severus nodded at her, before swiftly leaving.

Sofia sat on her bed that cloudy Monday morning. She had gone over Albus' words over and over again. If she understood everything correctly, Severus should have been back last night. Anxiety riddled through her as she trailed the pattern of her carpet. She had 10 minutes before she had to teach a 2nd-year core class. She couldn't even fathom how she would stand there and smile in front of 30 students whilst Severus could be dead. She pushed that thought further and further away as she tied her hair up in a ponytail. Getting up, she took a quick glance in the mirror, before she could head for the door she noticed that her sweater was put on backwards. Cursing at herself she quickly changed. She didn't feel like wearing her teaching robes that day, hoping that no one would notice. Rushing to the classroom with her notes she quickly walked past the students towards the teacher's desk, muttering some 'hello's' on the way.

"Today we'll be brewing the _Girding Potion_. As this is now your second term, I expect you all to do this without my assistance. Open your books to page 87 and begin." She spoke with a forced smile. The children quickly began to gather the ingredients from around the room, some stumbling over others. Any other day, Sofia would have been more thorough, but today she trusted that the students would help her out and simply be on their best behaviour. Just as the students began to brew the door of the classroom flung open. Sofia's head and a few of the student's eyes darted towards the doorway. Severus was standing in the classroom, staring at Sofia, looking completely terrible, ignoring the stares from the students. Sofia stilled with her mouth agape. "Hello Professor Snape, how may we help you?" She smiled at him, which forced the students to go back to whatever they were doing.

"Hallway. Now." He rasped as she nodded. Sofia quickly rushed past the students towards the door, warning them that she will be back any second. Just as she shut the door behind her, she felt Severus grab her and pull her into a tight embrace. Sofia was taken back for a second before glancing around to make sure no students were roaming the dungeons. She tightly hugged him back, as she heard him pant from above her.

"Merlin, did you run here?" She spoke in disbelief, still holding onto him.

"I didn't find him," Severus whispered. Sofia sighed as she pulled away. Noticing his exhausted and dishevelled state she began to worry.

"Severus..." She whispered as she pulled him in again. She felt his body heavy on hers as he leaned on her for support. "We'll find him." She whispered, "We'll find him before anything happens, I promise." She continued as she gently caressed his back. She felt him nod against her.

"Albus wants to see me tonight at 9 pm to discuss whatever he found," Severus spoke as she pulled away. Sofia noticed a few students walking down the hallway, staring at them. Smiling at them as they passed by, she awkwardly took a step back. "-you will still be on night duty. I will come find you after I speak to him." Severus finished. Sofia smiled at him. For a second she had completely forgotten about her father as she imagined her and Severus laying in bed together, but the more she watched Severus' tired expression the more worried she became.

"You need to sleep. I am covering all of your classes today, go to your quarters-"

"I have to teach a class at 3 pm to 7th year Slytherins and Gryffindors-"

"Yes. And I'm sure you're going to handle that _wonderfully_ in this state." Severus rolled his eyes at her, before quickly checking the hallway. He placed a quick kiss on her lips which caused her to step back a little in surprise. Severus quickly pulled away and walked to his quarters before Sofia could even react. As she heard one of the students squeal from behind the door, she quickly stepped inside hoping to avoid an explosion.

Sofia was happy not to see Severus at lunch or dinner. That was the only reassurance she had of him finally sleeping. She kept having to stop herself from visiting him in his quarters as she knew she would inevitably just climb into bed with him and probably get fired for sleeping through a class or night duty. She mentioned to Minerva during dinner that he was back which seemed to put even Minerva at ease. Sofia stayed in her room after dinner to distract herself from Severus and her missing father with work. She was almost ahead of schedule as she had already started writing the new end of term exams for the 1st 2nd and 3rd years. She threw herself into textbooks and lesson plans. Soon enough, she heard a knock at her door.

"Night duty, my dear." She heard Minerva's soft voice from behind the door.

"Coming!" Sofia called out as she quickly stacked the papers and put on her shoes. "Thank you so much for coming to get me." Minerva smiled as they linked arms together and began to slowly walk through the hallways. They noticed a few of the students running around as they made it to the courtyard.

"Back inside! Unless you want detention...I know it's you Mr Finley, now hurry up!" Minerva called out as Sofia laughed a little.

"You know, sometimes I miss hearing that." Sofia smiled at her, as she scoffed.

"I hate doing this. It's like chasing mice." Minerva coyly replied. They two continued to slowly make their way through the building as the darkness quickly took over. "How are things with Severus?" Minerva mused as Sofia shut the door to one of the classrooms.

"I could go on and on about it for hours... I promise I'll tell you every little detail as soon as this is over." Sofia sighed as she linked arms with her once more. The two had made 3 rounds thought the entirety of the building as they began to tire out.

"Would you rather talk about your father?" Minerva looked at her. Sofia sighed as she leaned on the railing of the ground floor, overlooking the lake. The same place where she had once annoyed Severus into talking to her. Just as the clock tower stoke 9 pm, Sofia began to wonder about what Albus and Severus were currently discussing. "Sofie?" Minerva tried to catch her attention as Sofia began to quickly phase out.

"Sorry." Sofia muttered.

"Let me try and distract you," Minerva spoke as she leaned on the railing next to her, both of them took in the beauty of the lake as Sofia observed the stars. "During one of my classes today, Ms Lockhart, turned a quill into a small snake instead of a spoon." Minerva smiled. Sofia laughed a little as she remembered her transfiguration classes.

"That seems much more impressive to me...Wait, Gilderoy's daughter? I didn't know he had kids?"

"Oh, he does. Five." Minerva added.

"Five?!" Sofia gasped. "I wonder who the lucky lady is..." They both laughed as Minerva continued to tell her about how she struggled to catch the quick-slithering snake. Suddenly Sofia noticed something in the distance. Squinting, she tried to focus on whatever seemed to be erratically moving at the edge of the lake. She leaned further over the railing to try to get a better look. Suddenly, her body went cold.It was a man. She noticed the figure awkwardly twist its head from side to side, slowly dragging its legs across the grass towards the castle. Sofia had hoped, prayed, that she was just seeing things, but as the figure got closer, she paled. Feeling all the blood suddenly drain from her body, she grabbed Minerva's arm, pulling her towards where she was looking. Minerva quieted as she squinted her eyes through her glasses. With a sharp breath, she quickly threw her hand over her mouth.

"Is that...?"

"Go get Albus and Severus. I need to get him away from the children." Sofia whispered in terror. Hearing Minerva's heels quickly disappear into the distance of the cobblestone hallway, Sofia gently pulled out her wand, still utterly paralyzed with terror.


	39. The Mind of the Mad

Sofia kept her eyes on her father in the distance as she carefully climbed over the stone railing. She felt her fingers twitch as she gripped her wand tighter and tighter out of fear. She felt the soft grass beneath her feet as she continued to walk closer to the deranged man. Her father seemed to notice her as he paused in his step, uncomfortably bending his head to the side as if to see her better. Sofia knew that if she took even one pause in her step she would be completely paralyzed. She picked up her speed as soon as she noticed her father stop in his tracks. After passing by a tall willow tree and the place where she used to sit with Severus, she was merely a few feet away from him before she could no longer force herself to walk. She noticed some of the familiar features of his face, however, his overgrowing beard made it impossible for her to see his full face. His wild eyes were dark, his feet were bare, clothes completely torn to pieced and she could barely make out his expression. As she slowly inched closer to him she worried that if she would lift her wand, she would anger him. She could hear his deep panting breaths as she inched closer and closer. She suddenly found herself only a few inches away from his tall and skinny body. The man continued to stare at her, slowly cracking his neck, his arms strangely dangling at his sides. Sofia exhaled a shaky breath as she stared at him. 

"Hello, William." It was difficult for her to speak his name as she had never called him that before. She almost made the mistake of calling him ' _dad_ ' again but she remembered how unsettled that made him in Azkaban. 

"Who...are you?" He rasped unnaturally. Sofia noticed his strange lopsided smile. He continued to unsettle her as she tried to focus on remaining calm. 

"A friend." She whispered. William examined her head to toe. Sofia felt his eyes on her palm as she quickly crossed her arms over her body in an attempt to hide her wand from his sight. "Let's go towards the lake..." Sofia shakily spoke. She wasn't sure what she was doing at this point, or what she would do if he were to hurt her. _Attack him back? Calmly coax him into walking away? Trick him somehow?_ She looked out towards the lake as the man shifted in his position. 

"No." Greene growled at her which made her jump. He attempted to walk around Sofia, which caused her to firmly move her body in front of him, standing in his way.

"We need to go to the lake." She repeated herself as she felt his cloudy eyes stare daggers into her. She noticed his jaw shift uncomfortably as he gritted his teeth. The sound made Sofia's skin crawl as he towered over her. 

"Move." 

"No." She spoke again. Her confidence was quickly frailing as she noticed the anger in his voice. William placed his callous hand on Sofia's arm, forcefully shoving her to the side. Adrenalin took over Sofia as she quickly dug her heels into the ground, outstretching her wand, she watched as the man raised his hand, prepared to slap her. Before he had the chance to swing at her Sofia quickly whispered; ' _Petrificus Totalus'_ which caused Greene to freeze in his place, his palm open, inches away from Sofia's face. Sofia winced at the image of her own father slapping her. Just as she stepped back from his stone-state she heard quick footsteps approach her. Both Albus and Severus rushed over to her side. Severus stepped in front of Sofia as he examined Greene. Greene's eyes followed Severus as he leaned in closer. 

"How the hell did he get here?" Severus spat. 

"What if someone helped him? What if there's someone else on the grounds?" Sofia began to spiral out as the adrenalin calmed in her bloodstream. 

"We need to get him further away from the castle, in case he becomes aggressive," Severus added.

"No time. The Ministry has allowed me to grant him the watch." Albus spoke firmly as he pulled the wristwatch out of his pocket. Sofia was shocked at how quickly everything was happening. She never wanted to be there for the moment when her father regains his sanity. She wasn't sure whether it was to avoid the disappointment if he didn't remember her or simply out of fear. She stepped back as she observed Albus and Severus. Severus had his arm out with his wand, prepared to strike Greene with a counter-spell, whilst Albus swiftly approached Greene. Sliding the watch onto Greene's wrist both of them waited for nothing. Sofia observed the watch which didn't seem to do anything whilst Severus watched Greene's expression. Both Albus and Sofia quickly noticed as Greene's eyes began to aggressively dart from side to side. Looking back at Sofia for reassurance, Albus nodded at Severus to perform the counter-spell. With a swift wave of Severus wand, Greene's arm swung down, as he dropped on his knees to the ground. Albus strode over to him, grabbing at his collar. The man seemed to exhale deep breaths of panic as Albus pulled him up from the ground. 

"How did you get here!?" Sofia had never heard Albus speak in such a tone. His voice alone made Sofia uncomfortable. Greene seemed to stutter as he struggled to form a sentence.

"Apparition. I've been apparating endlessly since I've escaped." Sofia shivered at the sound of her father's voice. He no longer sounded crazed or panicked. He sounded _normal,_ just like she had remembered him. 

"Is anyone else here with you?" 

"No!" William exclaimed. "I came alone, in peace, I just want to warn you-" Just as Greene was about to finish he noticed Sofia standing from behind Severus. "Sofia?" He whispered.

"Dad?" Sofia quickly replied. She lightly nudged Severus to the side as she made her way over to her father who was still held firmly by Albus. 

"Oh, my dear girl! How I've missed you." She watched as a tear slid down her father's cheek. Sofia stood still for a second, biting the inside of her cheek. All common sense fled her mind as she threw her arms around him. Greene broke out of Albus' grasp to firmly embrace her, softly sobbing into her sweater. 

"You remember?" Sofia whispered as tears began to slide down her cheeks. 

"Of course..." Greene continued to hold her as Sofia cried. Albus and Severus both watched from a distance. Both men shared a look of something that could only be described as apprehension. Severus clenched his jaw as he softly shook his head at Albus, completely distrusting the man. 

"I have so much to tell you..." Whispered Sofia. 

"I have so much to tell you too, sweetheart." Just as Sofia pulled back. Albus quickly raised Greene to his feet and bounded his wrists together. 

"Before we continue this heartwarming reunion. I would like to speak to William alone. I will call on both of you in due time. " Before Sofia could get up from the grass, Albus quickly marched off with Greene towards the direction of the castle. With a faint smile on her face, Sofia got up and dusted off her trousers. As soon as Severus caught her expression, he found it hard to think straight. Sofia noticed his complete look of disgust as she wiped a tear from her face. 

"What?" She asked, visibly annoyed. 

"Nothing." Severus dragged. Huffing, Sofia eyed him up and down, noticing how tense his whole body seemed. 

"He's back to how he once was..." She whispered in disbelief, smiling. 

"Did you notice anything strange when he spoke to you?" Severus muttered watching the castle. 

"What are you implying?" Sofia answered more defensively than she had intended. 

"Something unusual in his speech, or how he behaved, was all of that normal?" Sofia scoffed at him. 

"Yes, Severus!" She furrowed her eyebrows. "I haven't seen my father in years, I thought you would be happy?" 

"Pull yourself together Sofia." Severus rasped through his teeth. Sofia's mouth hung open. 

"Are you fucking serious!" 

"Shh!" Severus shushed her, as he noticed Argus roaming in the distance. 

"Did you just _shush_ me?" Sofia's eyes narrowed. Severus quickly grabbed her by her arm and dragged her towards the castle. After a few sounds of utter displacement, Sofia pulled her arm back and followed him inside. Severus swiftly walked down the staircase leading to the dungeons. Sofia followed him, all whilst thinking about what the hell was wrong with him. As they made it to the potions classroom, Severus unlocked the door, dragging Sofia inside. As she heard the door slam shut from behind her, Sofia stood there observing Severus who seemed to be pacing again. 

"Did you notice anything-"

"Severus, what is going on?" Sofia whined.

"Sofia listen to me-"

"No, what is wrong with you?" Sofia threw her hands up in displacement. She quickly started to ramble on endlessly about how inconsiderate Severus was, and how she was purely happy to reconnect with her father once more, how he was being unreasonable, all whilst Severus continued to pace the classroom. 

"Listen to me!" He finally yelled, interrupting her. Sofia firmly shut her mouth, leaning on one of the tables as she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor. "If he is half the man I knew him as, then this is some sort of a game." 

"A game? A father reuniting with his daughter is a game to you?" 

"Think _carefully_ Sofia." Severus' voice was almost frail as he stopped pacing to look at her. "Any of the words he used when he spoke to you, _any_ that seemed out of the ordinary, you have to tell me right now. Think." His eyes were wide as he stared at her. Leaning on the table Sofia finally gave on, sighing she scanned the room. 

"He only ever called my mother sweetheart. Never me." Severus paled at her words. Noticing this Sofia began to backtrack. "But that could have been a simple mistake! Why would that be anything but a mistake!" She stammered. 

"William Greene does not make mistakes, Sofia." Severus barked, which caused her to step back from the desk. Placing her head into her hands she grunted. 

"You're just being paranoid," Sofia muttered against her palms. Severus groaned at her ignorance. 

"And you are being blinded by your emotions!" Sofia could feel her face heat up with anger as she approached him. 

"Maybe this is about your emotions this time, and not mine. You despise the man." 

"And you would too If you saw the things that I saw," Severus whispered menacingly as he found himself an inch away from her face. 

"I'll prove it." Sofia quickly rushed out of the classroom as Severus followed her. He kept hissing for her to stop as she continued to run up the staircase to Albus' office. Severus tried to follow her, attempting to pull her back, however, his words of warning were meaningless to Sofia as she completely tuned him out, focusing on marching towards the familiar Griffin. As the Griffin spun and revealed a staircase Sofia and Severus quickly rushed inside. Both stiffened as the saw inside the room. 

Albus was lying unconscious on the floor, his wand a few feet away from him, no sign of Greene. 

Just as Sofia threw herself on her knees to check if Albus was breathing, Severus quickly ran to his desk, frantically opening drawer after drawer. Sofia was relieved to still hear Albus breathing as she heard Severus curse. 

"What?" Sofia gasped. 

"The wand. It's gone." The blood drained from Sofia's body as she realized that Severus was right all along. The two of them hurriedly took out their wands and ran out of the office. Sofia ran towards one side as Severus went to the other. The two of them simulations began to strip search the entire building. Sofia placed a protective spell over the two common rooms and dormitory floors she encountered as did Severus on the other side of the building. Sofia could feel her heart race inside her as every corner she turned she expected Greene to be there, pointing his wand at her. There was still a small sliver of hope inside her that her father might have just disappeared with his wand, without harming anyone, purely for freedom instead of Azkaban. As she frantically darted from one hallway to another, running past ghosts and a confused Argus, she began to fear more and more for all the children who were probably asleep by now. As the hallways of Hogwarts started to all blur into one in her eyes she tried out, failing to catch her breath, she continued to run, reminding herself over and over that if anything were to happen to a child she would never forgive herself. Just as Sofia ran through the Great Hall she heard something in the distance. Pausing and gasping for air, she tried to understand where the noise was coming from. It almost sounded like someone was calling someone's name. She gently made her way out of the Great Hall towards the sound. The voice became louder as she walked towards the main doors of Hogwarts. 

_"Severus...Where are you_?" She heard Greene's voice. His voice sounded almost melodic to her. As if he was coaxing for Severus to come out like an animal. "I don't want to wake up the precious kids... Come to me, Sevy!" she heard again. She looked out past the quad before she heard it again, coming from the distance. "Come out, come out, Severus!" She heard quick footsteps behind as she felt Severus grab her wrist. 

"Stay here." 

"Have you gone mad!?" Sofia hissed. 

"Stay. Here." He repeated firmly. 

"I'm coming with you." 

"No, you're not." 

"Watch me." She muttered as she took a quick stride ahead of him. They heard another unsettling yell come from beyond the courtyard. 

"Come on Severus...better not keep me waiting." Both of them rushed towards the sound of his voice. They proceeded to hear continuous soft yelling coming from somewhere near the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Sofia was quickly becoming breathless again as they made it towards the edge of the forest, past the whomping willow. As soon as Sofia noticed Greene, she rested her palms on her knees as she gasped for air. Sofia noticed as her father was now standing up perfectly straight. His arms no longer awkwardly dangled by his sides as his body stood comfortably barefoot on the grass. Calmly waiting for both her and Severus to approach him. "I see you've brought your pet, how lovely!" Sofia stilled at his words. 

"Pet? But you-?" 

"Convinced everyone that I could _remember_ you? That I did." Greene smirked. Sofia felt her heart sink as she straightened herself. Her whole body quickly filled with rage as she shot a quick spell towards the man, attempting to throw him off his feet. Greene quickly deflected it, as she then tried to disarm him, failing with the same result. The man simply laughed at her. "How sweet." He smirked. 

"What the hell do you want, Greene?" Severus spat as he outstretched his wand. 

"Very little. To be quite honest with you." Greene sighed with a smile. 

"I don't care what he wants..." Sofia barked at Severus. "Explain yourself!" Sofia yelled at him. 

"A little impatient aren't we, dearie?" Greene smiled at her. "Although I was expecting for you to ask sooner, would you like to sit down?" Greene continued to calmly speak, gesturing towards the grass.

"Spit it out." Severus gritted. 

"I've simply come to get what's mine." Greene chuckled as he dragged one of his pale fingers across his wand. Sofia was getting increasingly impatient with his behaviour ar she struck him again. "Now, now. None of that!" He wiggled his finger at her as he deflected her spell once more. "Or would you _not_ like to hear the rest?" Greene watched as the two of them stayed completely still. "That's what I thought. Now if any of you try something funny, rest assured that _she_ won't live to see the day." Sofia suddenly gasped as she noticed one of her 3rd-year students bound by what looked like live-vines all across her body, which Greene had simply dragged out from the edge of the forest using some wand-less magic. Placed the young girl by his legs he held up his wand to her cheek. "I found her wandering around the hallways after-hours. Terrible behaviour, truly. I don't intend to harm her. If you just listen to what I say carefully, she can go on her merry way, after all of this is over." Sofia shakily nodded at the man whilst catching a glimpse of Severus who did the same. Sofia could see the poor girl crying as Greene pushed his wand deeper and deeper into her cheek. 

The girl tried to speak to Sofia as she edged her body in her direction, "Ms Greene..." 

"Silence!" Greene yelled as the girl continued to softly whimper. "Not only do you stand there pathetically pointing your wand at me, but you also claim _my name_." He spat menacingly at Sofia. 

"I only claim what is mine," Sofia replied in a whisper. She watched as Greene's face contorted into disgust.

"Let's begin, shall we." Greene smiled, cracking his neck. "After finding out that you, my dear friend, betrayed The Dark Lord, I knew I was headed straight for Azkaban. What you weren't aware of was the fact that he had ensured that there would be someone to continue his cause, even after his death." Neither Severus nor Sofia were surprised to hear that. "I knew that I had to continue his reign, but something... continuously bothered me. Over and over again. Day and Night." He rasped now staring at Severus. "I knew I had to come up with a plan to escape from Azkaban, but all in due time. I knew that the Ministry would put me away in their most secure and isolated cell if I couldn't quite convince them that I was totally, and utterly harmless. Therefore, I pled insanity. And they all believed me. Every single one of them. Even _you_." He smiled at Severus momentarily pointing his wand at him. "Getting out of Azkaban was never an issue for me. Finding my wand, was truly the problem. It took Magorian quite some time to figure out where it was hidden. That fool." Greene rolled his eyes. "Now I had to figure out what kind of havoc I needed to raise in order for Hogwarts to be so vulnerable that Magorian could just walk in, and find out if the wand was truly here. So I came up with a neat little trick. You see, the only thing more important to Albus and the Ministry than the most feared Death Eater is their precious school. So I convinced them of an unstoppable, terrible, deadly threat. Drove both you and Albus completely mad. Although I have to admit Severus, it was harder to convince _you._ So bravo _."_ After Albus was wrapped around my finger I decided to play for a while longer. I send you on endless searches for some completely useless object to buy me just the right amount of time to plan everything, and yet plenty of time to drive you completely and utterly mad." His sinister smile was getting wider as he cocked his head at Severus. "Magorian was watching your every move. We weren't even sure if we had to actually hide any kind of object, it was fun enough to hear about your endless scrambles for some watch." Greene laughed. "But then, Magorian told me of your little friend here-" He pointed at Sofia. "The same naive girl who damaged my reputation claiming, all that time, she was my daughter..." 

"She has nothing to do with this." Severus tried to divert Greene's attention from Sofia.

Greene rolled his eyes. "That's where you're wrong. Because then, I thought of an even better idea to torment you. I asked Magorian to find out where our dear Sofia lived and told him to hide my old watch right there in her bedroom. Which I knew would drive you absolutely insane as it would make absolutely no sense to you, would it Severus? As you always noticed the tiniest of details and inconsistencies Severus, didn't you?!" He spat. "And she...So convinced that I am her father...I knew she would try to visit me to support her delusional claims and inevitably try to help you...So I slipped in that slimy clue about some painting in her room. I have to give it to you, I really wasn't sure you caught on at the moment." He laughed. "When Magorian told me about your little adventures, I asked him to make it more exciting for you, maybe even kill _her_ in the process at Inverness, since I knew you had grown oh-so fond of her... But he was too hasty with you Severus since you've obviously become _weak_. So he had to leave her around to make sure you wouldn't die at his hand." Sofia's was becoming more and more confused with every word this man said. "After I was satisfied, with the mind games I played on you... I was sure of where my wand was, and Magorian had gotten the very few Death Eaters that are still roaming free in order, I knew it was finally time to come out of my little cage and make my grand entrance. That beautiful watch act which I have provided for you all merely an hour ago was simply perfect to buy me some time to get my wand, distract Albus, and, well, here we are." He gestured to the forest with his free hand. 

"Why?" Severus gritted through his teeth not taking eyes off the poor girl who still had vines uncomfortably slithering around her body. 

" _Why!_?" Greene was suddenly no longer smiling. His nose drills flared as his eyes seemed to darken by the second. "Why, _you_ , of course, to torment _you_ , purely for my own pleasure!" Severus stared at the man, confused, without moving a muscle. "Oh, don't look so lost Severus...I spent hours on hours in that cell thinking of every reason why the Dark Lord failed. Going over every plan and detail... and it always led back to _you_. They never believed me... not one of them! But it was always you. You were the reason the Dark Lord doubted me, you were the reason he was murdered, you are the reason why they still think that I could ever have a child with a mudblood!" Greene spat the last word in disgust. Sofia felt a sharp pain in her chest as she tightened the grip on her wand. Greene's rage began to overtake him as he let go of the girl. Distracted by his pure anger he took a few long strides towards Severus. "Which is why I am here tonight Sevy. To kill _you_." Sofia took this as the right moment to attempt to free the young girl. Whispering a spell to herself without taking her eyes of the girl, the vines began to quickly dry out and softly break around the girl's body. The girl gasped for air as she felt her arms become free.

"Run!" Sofia yelled at her as the girl darted into the Forbidden Forest.

"You arrogant child!" yelled Greene as he swiftly moved his wand. Merely half a second later Sofia felt a sharp pain in her chest, her body harshly colliding with the nearest tree. Sofia felt her head drop. Wincing in pain her vision began to darken as she heard Severus call her name. Severus didn't have time to come to her before he watched Greene raise his wand at him. With a loud scream, light flashes filled the secluded corner. Severus was struggling to deflect Greene's spells as he continuously came closer and closer to him. With a sickening grin, Greene proceeded to attack Severus with endless unforgivable curses. Severus could feel himself becoming weaker and weaker with every step as Greene got closer to him. When Sofia's could see clearly again from the bottom of the tree, she saw a blinding light. She was paralyzed with dread as she noticed Severus and Greene mercilessly duel each other. She saw a flash of green light come from Greene's wand as Severus held it, their spells colliding as one in an instant. Sparkes of white and green light erupted from the painfully blinding spot where the spells had met. From the light reflecting on Severus' face, Sofia could see in his eyes that there was an incredibly small window of opportunity for her to help him. Sofia was frozen in her place. She was well aware from the sharp sound and the blasting green light that if she didn't think fast enough Severus would have his third and final meeting with death. Sofia struggled to understand what exactly went through her veins as she swiftly got up from the damp ground. Without thinking clearly, she hesitantly pulled out her wand. 

"William Greene!" She yelled. The man swiftly turned to face her as Severus etched closer and closer to death. A tear slid down her cheek as two words, almost a whisper, fell from her lips; "Avada Kedavra."


	40. 1933

William Greene dropped to the ground. His body slumped over the wet grass as Severus felt his wand recoil with a sharp sound. Severus marched towards Greene's lifeless body, pulling his wand out of his hand and shoving it into his frock. Taking a quick glance into the distance, Severus made sure that no students were around to witness this as he squinted at the castle to see if anyone was around. Looking back he noticed Sofia on her knees, her wand by her legs, staring at her hands. 

"Severus, I killed a man." He heard her frail voice. Forgetting William Greene, Severus ran up to her and kneeled by her side taking her face in his hands. "I killed someone." She whispered against his hands as he softly kissed her face. "I killed my father. I killed someone. Severus, I killed him!" Severus pulled her into his chest as she continued to mutter something against him.

"You saved my life-"

"I _took_ someone's life, Severus!" 

"You killed a monster, Sofia." He whispered as he stroked her back. He felt her body begin to shake as he wrapped his arms tighter around her. Sofia continued to stutter the same sentence against him over and over again before both of them heard a sound coming from the forest. Severus jerked his head towards the sound as he watched the terrified girl slip through the forest towards them. "How much of that did you see?" His deep voice called out to the girl, sending shivers down her spine. 

"Everything." 

"Oh my god, Severus I'm going to prison!" Sofia exclaimed. 

"You are not going to prison-"

"I am! I am. I'm going to Azkaban for the rest of my life, oh my god-" Sofia was no longer muttering as she began to wail into his shirt. Severus gripped tighter onto her as the terrified girl watched them. 

"You also saved me, Ms Greene..." The girl whispered. Sofia suddenly tensed as she leaned away from Severus, tears still streaming down her face. Moving her dishevelled hair back wish shaky hands Sofia stared at the girl, terrified that she had traumatized the poor child for life. Sofia tried to gather herself as she hesitantly got up. Severus got up with her, picking up her wand. 

"Ms Lewis, are you alright?" Sofia whispered as she walked up to the Esme. As soon as Sofia spoke Esme began to cry. Sofia quickly gestured for her to come closer. As Esme ran to her Sofia tightly hugged her. The poor girl was in complete shambles as she gripped onto Sofia's shirt. Sofia softly muttered sweet things to her, all whilst wiping away her own tears. Sofia tried her best to hold herself together whilst Severus wrapped his head around everything that just happened. As Esme continued to sob into Sofia's shirt, Sofia looked back at her father's lifeless body. She softly mouthed to Severus that they had to leave, eying the traumatised girl which had latched herself into Sofia refusing to let go. Severus swiftly nodded gesturing for her to carefully walk around the body, making sure for Esme not to see. Severus walked a few feet in front of Sofia and Esme as they made it past the Whomping Willow towards the courtyard. Esme made sure to grip onto Sofia's arm the whole way to the front door before it swung open. Minerva rushed down the staircase to Sofia before she suddenly paused noticing Esme. Minerva paled as she pulled Severus aside to find out everything that just took place. Sofia heard Severus and Minerva mutter things quietly to each other. She heard Severus raise his voice a number of times as she led the girl inside the castle. Sofia was petrified of what would happen to her. She led the girl down to the dungeons to sit with her behind one of the student desks. The two sat in silence together waiting for whatever was going to happen. Sofia knew that she couldn't just take her to bed as Albus would most likely want to talk to her first. She wasn't exactly sure of what the protocol was on a student seeing you perform an unforgettable curse. Sofia stared at the clock in the classroom, painfully watching every second tick as she pictured herself in Azkaban. And if she wouldn't be in Azkaban, she would lose her job. And if she wouldn't lose her job, multiple parents would most likely boycott Hogwarts for having a murderer teacher. Sofia felt her heart race father and faster as she stared at the clock. 

"Sofie?" She heard Minerva's voice from the doorway. Sofia lazily turned her tired eyes towards her. Minerva rushed over to her side, tightly embracing her and the girl. 

"I'm going to Azkaban, Minerva," Sofia whispered to her. 

"Don't be absurd!" 

"There are witnesses to say that they saw me kill a man..." Sofia whispered forgetting about Esme sitting next to her. 

"There is also a witness to say that you killed him because he was dangerous, a Death Eater, and a direct threat to my life." Came Severus' monotone voice from his own doorway. 

"And mine." Esme chirped in. Sofia chuckled at the girl's bravery before getting up and gesturing for Minerva and Severus to come closer. 

"Is Albus alright?" 

"We came to get you because he obviously wants to discuss this with us. And with Esme." Minerva scolded her. Sofia gently nodded as she gestured for the girl to follow them. The three professors and Esme walked up the stoned staircase straight to Albus office. 

"Ah. I am so glad you are okay Esme." Albus smiled as Sofia awkwardly edged towards the back of the room. "Have a lemon drop," The girl quickly took the candy as she sat across from her headmaster. "What happened to you today was extremely dangerous and completely unforeseen. I apologize to you for that, as it is my mistake. I have already contacted your parents, who as you know are both Aurors and were currently looking for William Greene themselves." Severus quirked an eyebrow at Minerva in surprise. "I was told that you were incredibly brave today, and for that, I want to congratulate you, as not many would have been able to do that tonight." Albus mused. "Now, of course, you are going to want to tell your friends about what happened, and that is completely your right to do so. However, I caution you; you were not the only one involved in this, therefore please be ever so kind to spare both Professor Snape's and Professor Greene's feeling throughout your tales." Albus winked at her as the girl eagerly nodded back. "Now run along, it's way past your bedtime." Esme quickly ran out of Albus' office.

As Sofia heard her footsteps disappear down the hallway she began to panic again. _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._ _I_ _am a murderer._

"Sofia?" She heard Severus voice as she lifted her head. 

"Hm?"

"You need to sit down." Spoke Albus. Sofia quietly walked up to his desk to sit in front of him. She twisted her silver rings anxiously as she waited for him to speak. "Ms Lewis' parents are both absolutely livid-"

"Obviously." Interrupted Severus. 

"I will be meeting with them this week to ensure better safety measures for the school. However, they both want to personally thank both of you later in the week for what you did tonight. Now-" Albus paused. "I want to apologize to the both of you, for all of this getting completely out of control. I want to apologize to you Severus, for doubting you, and you Sofia, for placing you in this difficult situation-"

"Am I fired?" Sofia interrupted him as Albus' mouth hung wide open mid-sentence.

"Merlin, no."

"Am I going to Azkaban for murder?" She heard as Minerva scoffed from behind her at her words. 

"Sofie. If you at any point thought that you were going to Azkaban, then I have failed you." Albus sighed. "I never wanted you to worry about that. You killed a man that was endangering a student and a teacher. A man, for which 15 Aurors were looking for day and night. A man, who tortured and murdered countless muggles and wizards. From where I am standing, you most likely won't even go to court. I simply won't allow it." Albus finished off with a smile as Sofia stared at him. He plopped a lemon drop in her open palm as she glanced at Severus. "Now. The most you three will have to deal with from now on is marking the end of year exams and quieting down any of the outrageous rumours that will surely come out of this." Sofia gaped at the man as she threw the lemon drop in her mouth. "Sofie, you need to sleep. If you need a day off, I'm sure Severus can cover your classes tomorrow. And Minerva?" 

"Yes?" 

"Make sure Sofie does not completely spiral out before the end of the school year. Everything else, I will deal with myself." Albus finished as he pushed his chair back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a very eventful book I need to get back to. See you all in the morning." Sofia watched as Albus walked around the desk. She felt Severus' palm on her shoulder as he softly pressed on her neck with his thumb. 

"Come on. You need to sleep." She nodded at him getting up from her chair. 

Sofia and Severus walked upstairs to her quarters without saying a word to each other. As soon as the door shut from behind them, Severus pulled her in once more, stroking her hair. With everything being over, and Esme back in bed, Sofia began to softly cry again. 

"There's no need for tears..." Severus whispered to her as she quietly cried into his chest. "If you want to talk, I'm sure I have a bottle of wine stashed somewhere in my office." He tried to lift her spirits as she pulled away from him. 

"No. I have some in my closet. Next to my jeans." She whispered wiping her face. Sofia made her way over to the couch, pulling her legs up to her body. Severus found the bottle and poured her a large glass of red wine. Sitting down next to her he let out a long breath of relief as Sofia sipped her wine. After a half an hour of comfortable silence and two empty wine glasses, Sofia felt a little more at ease. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"Better." She spoke. Impatiently clinking the glass against the bottle in Severus' hand. He poured her some more wine as she leaned further back onto her couch, staring uncomfortably into the distance. "You know what is so terrifying about all this?" 

"Hm?" 

"That in a split second, a man's life was taken." She whispered. Severus softly turned to her outstretching his arm to meet with her palm. He spun some of the rings on her fingers as she sipped her wine. "It could have been any of us. You, me, Esme. I don't know what I would do with myself if I had to drag your lifeless body back to Albus..." She spoke. After analyzing her words, Severus found himself only thinking one thing. He watched her expression as she swished the wine in her glass. Before she could say anything else he found himself feeling an immerse wave of affection and admiration towards her which overtook his emotions all at once. As Sofia bit the inside of her cheek, Severus stared at her. 

"I love you." He muttered, impatiently waiting for something to happen. Sofia stared at him in utter disbelief. Her fears, doubts, and confusion disappeared in a second as she suddenly gripped his hand. Seconds felt like hours for Severus as he waited for her to open her mouth

"I love _you_." She whispered back. Severus released a tense breath he didn't realize he was holding. Shutting his eyes momentarily and leaning his head on the back of the couch, he pulled Sofia by the arm towards him. Placing her wine glass on the floor Sofia nudged her body closer. Severus pulled her into his chest, draping his arm over her body. He contently played with the hem of her shirt, dragging his fingers up and down her arm as he continued to drink his wine. Eventualy, he heard her breathing soften as she fell soundly asleep on top him. 

A few weeks had passed since that night, as the term was quickly coming to an end. Sofia struggled at first to forget everything that happened. But after Albus had gone to the Ministry for her and brought her back a handwritten letter with an official stamp which proved that she was in no way going to face prison time or even be under some sort of 'government watch' Sofia began to relax a little as she turned all her energy towards teaching and Severus. Sofia's classes were quickly becoming increasingly more interesting. Every time Severus was not around, the students would ask her endless personal questions within reason. She figured that this must have come from the fact that Esme went around and told everyone about her horrific encounter with William Greene ...which obviously also included seeing one of the scariest professors at Hogwarts _kiss_ another professor. Sofia was honestly surprised that the students weren't being _more_ invasive, especially the younger ones. Both of them found it extremely amusing that every time they would talk to each other in the presence of students, whether it would be in the hallways of Hogwarts or during meals, they would catch multiple students staring at them in utter shock and displeasement.

As time flew by, Sofia found herself standing in front of her last class. Her and Severus decided to teach the last classes together in order to round off the term and congratulate any of the students together on their successful end of term grades. Severus was hesitant to proceed with Sofia's lesson plans, which basically implied that the 3rd years would have a free hour to ask any questions about going into 4th year, or any interesting potions which they might have heard about. And, of course, socialize between each other. Severus sat behind the teacher's desk writing something as Sofia passed around the end of year exams. There was an extremely relaxing energy in the classroom as all of the students were excited to go home for the summer, and Severus and Sofia were simply happy to be done with all the marking and grading. As Sofia handed out the last end of year exam and the students began to talk between each other again, she noticed one of the boys in the back raise their hand. "Ms Greene?"

"Yes, Mr Wilson?" Sofia smiled as she lightly pushed her glasses up her nose.

"Are you going to spend the summer holidays with your family?" All of the students suddenly quieted as they waited for her to respond. Severus had already asked Sofia a few weeks ago to spend the summer with him at Spinners End. Sofia, of course, happily agreed under one condition: that she could steal Firenze Brown's signed book from his library. Sofia stilled at Mr Wilson's question analyzing her options as she noticed Severus' uncomfortably pause in his writing. 

"No, I won't Mr Wilson," She smiled at the boy, who was obviously waiting for her to continue to speak as she struggled to come up with some random excuse. 

"Professor Greene and I will be spending the summer together," Severus muttered without looking up at the now terrified student. "Now I suggest Mr Wilson, that in the future you refrain from asking you professors such invasive questions." Sofia stifled a small laugh as she watched Severus continue to write. She scanned the room as a few of the students proceeded to whisper things between each other, obviously shocked at his response. When the class came to an end and all of the students quickly rushed out to finish packing, Sofia found herself cleaning up the classroom as Severus continued to write something behind the teacher's desk. After she was done she sat next to him, trying to subtly find out what he was so focused on without being too obvious. After Severus had obviously noticed that she was becoming increasingly more and more interested in whatever he was writing he smirked to himself. "I'm writing a letter to Lucius to thank him for letting me stay in his home _that_ night," Severus spoke as he continued to write. Sofia smiled as she leaned back in her chair. She relaxed as she realized that she would finally have some time off from everything; teaching, searching, thoughts of her father. She caught herself being mesmerised by Severus' hand as it softly glided over the parchment. Her eyes caught the shiny silver ring which was placed on his right index finger. "You're staring." He muttered with a smile as she suddenly looked away. 

"Sorry." She laughed a little as she sat back. Severus gripped her thigh reassuringly before he signed off the letter. As he folded up the letter he placed it in an envelope and licked it shut. 

"I have something for you." He spoke as he placed the letter on his desk. Sofia furrowed her eyebrows as she watched him. Severus pulled the silver ring off his index finger and handed it over to her, placing it safely in her palm. Sofia looked even more confused as she continued to stare at him. Severus playfully rolled his eyes before getting up from the desk. "You have been hungrily staring at that ring ever since the night of the Halloween dance. I figured it would bring you more joy than it brings me." He smiled. 

"I can't keep it! It's yours. Sofia laughed as she tried to hand it back to him. 

"Yes you can. It's a gift." Sofia whispered a thank you as she tried on the ring. It was obviously way too big for her. So instead, she simply decided to one day find a chain for it and hang it around her neck. She got up from the desk and quickly kissed him as he wrapped his hands around her waist. 

"I have to go pack up my things." 

"So do I. I will come get you from your room before dinner after I stop by the Owlery."

"Sounds perfect." Sofia smiled as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. 

Sofia was just about to throw in her last few sweaters into the trunk as she heard two knocks on her door. "It's open!" She called out. 

"Ready?" She heard Severus' voice from behind her. 

"Yes, just need to quickly fold the last few." She smiled at him as she rushed to fold the last of her sweaters. As she walked from one side of the room to the other she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She wanted to ask him something that has been floating through her mind for the last few weeks, but she could never find the right time or words. "Severus?" 

"Yes?" He replied from the doorway. Sofia continued to look out her window as she pieced the words together. 

"When did you realize you wanted me?" She asked. 

"Pardon?" She heard his coarse laugh from the doorway. 

"Well," She turned to face him. -after you kissed me in your office, something was obviously holding you back. When did you _know_?" She asked again. She watched as he smiled at her from the doorway with a sigh. Scanning the room, Severus' eyes landed on the sketch of her which he once drew laying safely on her bedside table.

"I guess when I drew this." He spoke as he picked up the piece of parchment from her bedside table and showed it to her. Sofia smiled at the memory as she quickly continued to fold her clothes. Just as she tossed the last of her things into her trunk, she dusted off her trousers and walked towards him. 

"Shall we?" 

"I almost forgot-" Sofia watched as he pulled an envelope out of his frock, handing it over to her. Sofia examined the rough yellowing envelope. "-this was in the Owlery addressed to you." His monotone voice finished as he gently gestured for her to follow him down the hallway. Sofia was puzzled as she had never received letters from anyone unless they were either from Remus or Minerva. Both of which she saw that morning. Sofia quickly ripped the envelope open pulling out the roughly torn piece of parchment from inside, her eyes scanned the words as she suddenly froze, reading the 5 words over and over: 

_I know what you did._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sadly, this book has officially come to an end. 
> 
> I wanted to thank everyone for reading this book! It has been an absolute honour for me to write something which is based on the magical work of J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter has always been an incredibly large part of my life and I'm so glad you guys could enjoy this book!!!
> 
> This book will hopefully be part of a series. However, currently, I am working on an Alan Rickman fanfic. 
> 
> Thank you so much to everyone who has been part of this journey with me. Of course, please comment, kudos, and follow me if you've enjoyed this book! I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts, ideas and even simply talk to you guys! I will be writing more short stories on Tumblr and be happy to write Severus Snape drabbles and imagines on request! 
> 
> Hope everyone is staying safe. 
> 
> Love, T. x

**Author's Note:**

> T. x
> 
> -Dedicated to Alan Rickman.-


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